The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six pool 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
