The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool 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
