England and Wales have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
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 assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce 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 runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
