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England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing recalls 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 hosts' surprise group stage elimination.

Key Group Draws

Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group.

Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

Should the pools play out according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish until the final.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture

Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.

Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.

Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.

Larger Format for 2027

Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.

The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.

While the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.

Four of the remaining six group winners will play a third-placed side 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