England along with Wales Placed Together for the 2027 World Cup Down Under

England and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.

This draw echoes their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination.

Key Pool Draws

Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool together, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.

Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D.

Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener

Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.

The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.

In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in 2023.

This edition will feature a last-16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence.

While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.

Four of the remaining six group winners will face 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