England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both the English and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Draw
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
