The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third 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
