The English along with Welsh Placed in the Same Group for the 2027 World Cup in Australia
The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise early exit.
Other Notable Pool Pairings
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the final, assuming the Springboks win their own group.
Tournament Implications
If the groups play out according to the current global standings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A.
Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France.
The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B ā most likely the Italians ā in the first knockout round.
Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
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
