The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six group 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
