The English side together with Wales have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third 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
