The English side together with Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups play out in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus 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 the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool 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
