The English side together with Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 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 Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the groups play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third 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
