England and Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool 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
