The English side and Wales will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
