The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with Scotland failing 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.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool 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
