England and Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool 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
