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England and Wales find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.

This pairing mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.

Other Notable Group Draws

The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.

Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.

Tournament Ramifications

If the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and the Irish all the way to the final.

Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener

Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.

The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.

Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.

The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.

Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.

A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.

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