England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups conclude according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – 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.
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
