The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side 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
