England together with Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, other top favourites 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 that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
