The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland and Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands 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 history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
