England together with Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up 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 infamous clash 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 the Scots also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If 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 the likes of England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will play 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
