England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool 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
