The English side and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in 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 quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group 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
