The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the Springboks top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders 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, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – 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.
Rugby World Cup 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
