The English along with Wales Placed in the Same Group for RWC 2027 in Australia

England and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.

This draw echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Key Group Draws

Ireland and Scotland also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that same group.

Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their own group.

Tournament Implications

If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both England and Ireland until the championship decider.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener

Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.

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

Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.

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

While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.

Four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.

RWC 2027 Draw

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