The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six group 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
