England together with Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their memorable 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.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side 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
