The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw mirrors their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
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
