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The English side and Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.

Key Pool Pairings

The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.

Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.

Tournament Ramifications

If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener

Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.

Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event.

Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.

While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.

Rugby World Cup 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