England and Wales find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
