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The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing mirrors their infamous 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 surprise group stage elimination.

Other Notable Group Pairings

The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.

Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.

Tournament Implications

If the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the final.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Face Major Opener

Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.

The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.

In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.

Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side 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