England and Wales will face off in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third 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
