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England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase 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 also share a pool together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.

Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.

Knockout Ramifications

Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the final.

Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.

Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture

Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.

The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.

In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.

The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.

While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.

A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play 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