The English along with Welsh Pitted in the Same Group for the 2027 World Cup Down Under
England together with Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their memorable meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's existence.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will play 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
