The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland and Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the final, presuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups conclude according to the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history.
While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side 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
