England and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the groups conclude according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will face a team that finished third 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
