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The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.

Key Pool Pairings

Ireland and Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.

Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.

Tournament Ramifications

If the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener

Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.

The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.

In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.

This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.

Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.

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