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The English side together with Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing echoes their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.

Key Group Draws

The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.

Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.

Knockout Ramifications

If the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.

Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture

Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.

The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.

In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.

Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.

A total of four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third 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