The English along with Wales Drawn Together for the 2027 World Cup in Australia

England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, promising a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.

Other Notable Group Pairings

The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.

Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.

Tournament Ramifications

If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the championship decider.

Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture

Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.

Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.

Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.

This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.

While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from 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.

A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.

RWC 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