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The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.

This pairing mirrors their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock early exit.

Other Notable Group Pairings

The Irish alongside the Scots also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that same group.

Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, assuming the Springboks top their own group.

Tournament Ramifications

If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Face Major Opener

Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.

Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.

In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.

Larger Format for 2027

Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.

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 rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.

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