The English and Welsh Pitted Together for RWC 2027 in Australia

England together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.

This draw mirrors their famous 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 Group Draws

The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals.

Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that same group.

Significantly, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks win their own group.

Knockout Ramifications

Should the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and the Irish all the way to the final.

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

Hosts Draw Major Fixture

Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A.

The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the competition.

Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.

Larger Tournament for 2027

Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France.

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

While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round.

Four of the remaining six group winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.

Rugby World Cup 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