England and Wales Placed in the Same Group for the 2027 World Cup Down Under
The English side and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Pairings
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, assuming the South Africans top their own group.
Tournament Ramifications
If the groups play out according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both England and the Irish all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023.
This edition will feature a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B β most likely Italy β in the last 16.
A total of four of the remaining six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 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
