The English side together with Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play 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
