The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
