England together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, 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 last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will play 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
