The English side and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland and Scotland also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
