The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third 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
