England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
