The English along with Wales Pitted Together for the 2027 World Cup Down Under

The English side together with Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.

This draw echoes their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.

Key Pool Pairings

The Irish and the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D.

Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks until the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group.

Tournament Implications

Should the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland all the way to the final.

Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland.

Hosts Face Major Opener

Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.

The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.

In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France.

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

Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round.

Four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.

RWC 2027 Groups

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