The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights 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 remaining six pool 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
