The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish and Scotland also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression 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 before the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six pool 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
