The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
