England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages 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 before the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play 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
