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England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, 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 pairing echoes their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.

Key Group Pairings

Ireland and Scotland also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.

Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.

Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.

Knockout Implications

Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener

Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.

The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the event.

In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.

This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.

Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.

Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.

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