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The English side and Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.

Key Group Draws

Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.

Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their own group.

Knockout Implications

Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.

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

Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener

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

The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.

In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.

This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.

While the victor 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 runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.

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 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