England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Draws
Ireland and Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
RWC 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
