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England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.

Key Pool Draws

The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.

Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart 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 that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture

Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.

Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the event.

Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.

Larger Format for 2027

Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.

The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.

While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – 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 Draw

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