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

The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.

Other Notable Group Pairings

The Irish and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages.

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

Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group.

Knockout Implications

Should the groups play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the final.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Face Major Opener

Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.

The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.

In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Larger Format for 2027

Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.

The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.

While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the other six group winners will play a team that finished third 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