The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
