The English side and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing recalls their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland until the final.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely Italy – 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 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
