England together with Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool 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
