England and Wales will face off in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Group Draws
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will face 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
