The English side and Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland and the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face 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
