The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing 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 early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude 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 all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the 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 second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool 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
