🔗 Share this article

England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Other Notable Pool Pairings

The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.

Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their own group.

Tournament Ramifications

If the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated 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 those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture

Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.

The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the event.

In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.

Larger Format for 2027

Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.

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

Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.

Four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase.

Rugby World Cup 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