England and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable 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.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
RWC 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
