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The English side and Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.

This pairing echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.

Key Pool Pairings

Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

Should the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.

Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture

Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.

Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the competition.

Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage 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 Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.

Four of the other six group winners will face 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