The English side together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
If the groups play out according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
