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England and Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.

This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Other Notable Group Pairings

Ireland and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group.

Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their own group.

Tournament Implications

If the groups conclude according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture

Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.

Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.

Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.

This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.

Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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