The English side and Wales will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch 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 Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
