The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland and Scotland also share a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Fixture
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 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Draw
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
