🔗 Share this article

The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw recalls their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.

Key Pool Draws

The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.

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

Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the final.

Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Face Major Opener

Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.

Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.

Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.

Larger Format for 2027

Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.

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

Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.

Four of the other 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