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England and Wales will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw mirrors their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Other Notable Group Pairings

The Irish and Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.

Knockout Implications

Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.

Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Hosts Face Major Fixture

Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.

Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.

In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.

This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.

While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.

A total of four of the other 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