England and Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six group winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
RWC 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
