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The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.

This pairing mirrors their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.

Key Group Draws

The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.

Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans top their own group.

Knockout Implications

If the groups play out in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture

Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.

The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the competition.

Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.

Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.

Four of the other 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