England and Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group 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
