England together with Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Key Group Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
