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The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.

This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Key Group Pairings

Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their own group.

Knockout Implications

If the groups play out in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the final.

Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.

Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener

Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.

Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.

In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.

This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's history.

While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.

Rugby World Cup 2027 Draw

Pool A

• New Zealand
• Australia
• Chile
• Hong Kong

Pool B

• South Africa
• Italy
• Georgia
• Romania

Pool C

• Argentina
• Fiji
• Spain
• Canada

Pool D

• Ireland
• Scotland
• Uruguay
• Portugal

Pool E

• France
• Japan
• USA
• Samoa

Pool F

• England
• Wales
• Tonga
• Zimbabwe