England and Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland 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 underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool 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
