England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland and the Scots also share a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool 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
