England together with Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups conclude according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool 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
