England and Wales will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the groups conclude according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although 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 Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side 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
