England together with Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa before the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group 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
