England and Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Draws
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
RWC 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
