The English and Wales Pitted Together for 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia
The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture
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 the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
