England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus 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 other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face a third-placed side 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
