England and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
