England and Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will face 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
