England together with Wales will face off in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of 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
