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England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early 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 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.

Key Pool Pairings

Ireland 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 their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.

Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.

Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.

Hosts Face Major Opener

Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.

The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.

In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.

This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.

While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the remaining 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