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England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Key Group Draws

The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.

Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.

Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their own group.

Knockout Ramifications

Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland all the way to the final.

Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture

Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.

Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the event.

In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.

This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.

Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.

A total of four of the remaining 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