England along with Welsh Drawn in the Same Group for the 2027 World Cup in Australia

England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.

Key Group Pairings

The Irish and Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.

Knockout Ramifications

Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the final.

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

Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener

Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.

Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the competition.

In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.

The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.

While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face 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 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