🔗 Share this article

England together with Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.

Key Group Draws

The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.

Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.

Tournament Ramifications

If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Hosts Draw Major Fixture

Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.

Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the competition.

Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.

This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.

While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.

A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.

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