The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side 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
