The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third 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
