The English side together with Wales will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland and Scotland also share a group together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger 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 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third 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
