The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a group once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play 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
