England along with Wales Pitted Together for RWC 2027 Down Under

England and Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.

This draw recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.

Key Group Pairings

Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals.

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

Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.

Knockout Ramifications

Should the groups conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and Ireland until the final.

Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.

Tournament Hosts Draw Major Opener

Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.

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

Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Larger Format for 2027

Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.

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

While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.

Four of the remaining six pool winners will play a third-placed side 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