The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner 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 – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
