The English side and Wales will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
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 both England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
Rugby World Cup 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
