England together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the groups play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
RWC 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
