The English side and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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