England and Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face 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
