England and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside 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 designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
RWC 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
