England together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups play out according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool 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
