England and Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups play out according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group 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
