England and Wales Drawn in the Same Group for the 2027 World Cup in Australia
The English side and Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock early exit.
Key Group Pairings
The Irish and Scotland also share a group together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Los Teros and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Face Major Fixture
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event.
Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Larger Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.
Four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
RWC 2027 Draw
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
