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England and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.

Key Group Draws

Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.

Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

If the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.

Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture

Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.

The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.

Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.

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

While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.

Four of the other six pool winners will face 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