The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round 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 initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third 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
