The English and Wales Pitted in the Same Group for RWC 2027 in Australia

The English side together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.

This pairing echoes their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock early exit.

Key Group Pairings

Ireland and the Scots also share a pool once again, just as the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to progress to the knockout stages.

Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.

Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet defending champions and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool.

Tournament Ramifications

If the pools play out in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.

Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.

Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture

Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A.

Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition.

Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa.

Expanded Tournament for 2027

Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France.

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

Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.

A total of 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