England together with Wales will face off in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand 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 other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will play 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
