The English side and Wales have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
