The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – 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.
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
