England and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the groups conclude according to the current global standings, other leading contenders 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.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
RWC 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
