England and Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage 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 initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
