England and Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group 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
