The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
