The English side and Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round 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 rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group winners will play a third-placed side 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
