England and Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
