England and Wales Pitted in the Same Group for 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia

The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Key Pool Draws

Ireland alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.

Significantly, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.

Knockout Implications

Should the pools play out in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland until the championship decider.

In that scenario, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.

Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture

Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A.

Australia will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match aimed at jump-start the competition.

In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in 2023.

This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.

While the victor of Pool F 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 play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.

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