England and Wales will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group 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
