The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland and the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 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 game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining 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
