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 Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside 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 their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
