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The English side and Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated early 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 memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock early exit.

Other Notable Group Pairings

Ireland and the Scots also share a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.

Tournament Implications

If the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.

Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture

Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.

The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.

In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in France.

This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.

While the winner 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 – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.

Four of the other six pool winners will face 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