The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
