England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
