England and Welsh Placed in the Same Group for the 2027 World Cup Down Under

England and Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.

Key Pool Draws

The Irish alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.

Tournament Ramifications

If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish all the way to the final.

Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Hosts Draw Blockbuster Fixture

Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.

The Wallabies will open the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.

Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Larger Format for 2027

Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows 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 history.

Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round.

A total of four of the other six group 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