England along with Wales Drawn Together for the 2027 World Cup Down Under

England and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit.

Other Notable Pool Draws

The Irish alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.

Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa before the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.

Tournament Ramifications

Should the groups conclude according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the championship decider.

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

Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener

Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.

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

In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and Canada as the World Cup expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence.

While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.

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

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