The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups play out in line with 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 until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to launch the event.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
RWC 2027 Draw
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
