🔗 Share this article

The English side and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.

This draw recalls their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Other Notable Pool Pairings

The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.

Knockout Implications

If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the final.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that 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 New Zealand in Group A.

The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in 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, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.

While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side 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