The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
Ireland and the Scots also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining 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
