The English side together with Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools conclude according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
