The English and Welsh Placed in the Same Group for the 2027 World Cup in Australia
England together with Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw mirrors their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Key Group Pairings
Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the last 16.
Four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
