The English side and Wales find themselves placed in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win 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, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the groups play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
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
