The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots also share a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor 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 – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool 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
