England together with Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland and the Scots also share a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones 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 last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third 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
