The English side together with Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will face a third-placed side 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
