The English side and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay 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 defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights 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 team that finished third 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
