The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
Key Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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
