The English side and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket 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 the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
