The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group 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 claimed a convincing win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – 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
