The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing win, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play 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
