England along with Welsh Placed in the Same Group for the 2027 World Cup in Australia
The English side together with Wales will face off in the same pool 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 memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Other Notable Pool Draws
The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Knockout Implications
If the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great 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 marquee match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will face a third-placed side 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
