England and Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Draw
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
