The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish and the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
