The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play 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
