The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages 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 Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots also share a group together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
RWC 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
