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The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.

Key Pool Pairings

Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.

Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.

Knockout Ramifications

If the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.

Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener

Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.

Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.

In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.

This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.

Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.

Four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.

Rugby World Cup 2027 Groups

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