🔗 Share this article

England together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.

This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Other Notable Pool Pairings

The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.

Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.

Tournament Ramifications

Should the groups conclude according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.

Hosts Draw Major Fixture

Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.

Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.

In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.

This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.

While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face 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