England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups conclude according to the current global standings, further 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 other top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty 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 be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side 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
