England and Wales have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
