England along with Wales Pitted Together for RWC 2027 Down Under

England and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.

Other Notable Pool Draws

The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their own group.

Knockout Implications

If the pools play out according to the current global standings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Hosts Face Major Fixture

Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.

Australia will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at launch the event.

Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence.

Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.

Four of the other six pool winners will play 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