The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group 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
