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England will face Wales in the group stage decider of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, it was confirmed after the tournament schedule was released.
Following the December draw, the full fixture list was released on Monday night (Tuesday morning in Australia), with England’s games against Tonga, Zimbabwe and Wales scheduled over 15 days.
England will face Tonga in Brisbane on October 2, then Zimbabwe in Adelaide on October 8, and finally Wales on October 16 at the Sydney Stadium in Australia, where the final will be held on November 13.
England and Wales will both be hoping to advance to the knockout stages given their opponents, but finishing top of Group F could earn one of their teams an easier path forward.
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England head coach Steve Borthwick and captain Maro Itoje react to December’s 2027 Rugby World Cup draw.
The winner of this group will play in the round of 16 in Perth, while the runners-up will play in Sydney.
Host Australia will host the opening match against Hong Kong in Perth on October 1, while England and Wales will play the next day.
Ireland and Scotland will face each other in the second round of the group stage, and they will also hope that this game will decide who wins the group stage.
Scotland begin their Group D campaign against Uruguay in Melbourne on October 3, while Ireland face Portugal in Sydney the next day.
Six Nations opponents will meet in Perth on October 10 before completing the group stages on October 17, with Ireland facing Uruguay in Melbourne and Scotland facing Portugal in Brisbane.
Another of the most high-profile pool games will be against New Zealand in Sydney on October 9.
South Africa, seeking a third successive World Cup title, will face Italy in Adelaide on October 3, followed by Georgia in Brisbane and Romania in Perth.
Main swimming pool stage installation
October 2: England v Tonga, Group F, Brisbane Stadium
Wales v Zimbabwe, Group F, Adelaide Oval
October 3: Scotland v Uruguay, Group D, Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
October 4th: Ireland v Portugal, Group D, Sydney Football Stadium
October: 8 England v Zimbabwe, Group F, Adelaide Oval
Wales v Tonga, Group F, Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
October 10: Ireland v Scotland, Group D, Perth Stadium
October 16: England v Wales, Group F, Australia Stadium, Sydney
October 17: Ireland v Uruguay, Group D, Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
Scotland v Portugal, Group D, Brisbane Stadium
