England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
While 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 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
