The English side together with Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool 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 played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
