The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors 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 own group.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
RWC 2027 Draw
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
