The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock early exit.
The Irish and Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Should the groups conclude in line with the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.
Pool A
Pool B
Pool C
Pool D
Pool E
Pool F
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