The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw 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.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights 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 pool winners will play 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
