The English and Welsh Placed Together for the 2027 World Cup in Australia
The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Key Group Draws
Ireland and the Scots also share a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Tournament Implications
If the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition.
In other groups, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.
Although 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 second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 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