The English side and Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, 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 same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude 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 the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play 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
