England together with Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a third-placed side 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
