England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – 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.
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
