🔗 Share this article

England and Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.

This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.

Other Notable Group Pairings

The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.

Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

Should the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.

Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.

Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener

Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.

The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the event.

Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.

This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very 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 – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.

Four of the remaining six group winners will face 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