The English side and Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish and the Scots also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will face a third-placed side 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
