The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
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
