The English side and Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other 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
