England together with Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Group Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will face 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
