England together with Wales have been drawn in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third 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
