The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
