The English side together with Wales will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group 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
