The English side together with Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group 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
