England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with 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.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six group winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
