England together with Wales will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both the English and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina 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.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
