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 clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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
