The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
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
