The English along with Wales Drawn Together for RWC 2027 in Australia
The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group 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.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 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
