England along with Welsh Drawn in the Same Group for the 2027 World Cup Down Under
The English side and Wales find themselves placed in the same pool 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 Zimbabwe.
This draw echoes their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase.
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