England and Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
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 winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining 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
