The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to 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
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will play a third-placed side 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
