England and Wales will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from 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.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Draw
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
