The English along with Welsh Drawn in the Same Group for the 2027 World Cup in Australia

England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, setting up a major early encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit.

Other Notable Group Draws

The Irish and the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.

Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both England and the Irish until the final.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.

Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture

Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.

Australia will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.

In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.

This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history.

Although the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.

Four of the other six group winners will face a third-placed side 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