The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 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 game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group 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
