England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool 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
