The English and Welsh Placed Together for 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia

The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.

This draw recalls their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Key Pool Draws

The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.

Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.

Tournament Implications

Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland until the final.

In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener

Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.

The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the competition.

In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Format for 2027

Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.

The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.

While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the last 16.

A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.

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