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England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.

This pairing mirrors their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination.

Key Pool Pairings

The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.

Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.

Tournament Ramifications

Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.

Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener

Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.

The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.

In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.

The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.

Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the remaining 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