The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining 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
