The pools for the 2027 Rugby World Cup have been confirmed with Steve Tandy and his team learning their opponents
Wales have discovered who they will face in the pool stage of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia with Steve Tandy’s side set for an early clash with rivals England.
Having been placed in the second band of seeds for the tournament, Wales were always going to draw one of the world’s top six teams, but managed to avoid the likes of South Africa, New Zealand or Ireland. Instead, they will face Steve Borthwick’s side in Pool F in one of the most eye-catching fixtures of the pool stage.
Wales and England will be joined in the pool by Tonga and Zimbabwe, with the latter making their first appearance at a Rugby World Cup since 1991. You can see full details of the Rugby World Cup draw here.
Following the draw in Sydney, Tandy and his team now have an idea of what their path through the rest of the tournament could look like, assuming they make it through the pool stage.
While anything could happen over the next two years, England will be the overwhelming favourites to top their pool, with Wales expected to finish in second place barring any major shocks.
Finishing as runners-up would see Tandy’s men face the team that finishes second in Pool C in the round-of-16, a new stage for the tournament.
Pool C is made up of Argentina, Fiji, Spain and Canada, and with the Pumas the top seeds, Wales could expect to find themselves up against the Fijians again, following their classic pool stage showdown in France in 2023.
If Tandy’s side can get the better of Fiji, they can expect to face either France or Scotland in the quarter-finals, with Les Bleus expected to be the team that makes it through their round-of-16 clash.
While Wales’ most recent clash with France saw them beaten 43-0 in Paris during the Six Nations earlier this year, a shock quarter-final win Down Under would see them face the even more daunting task of a semi-final showdown with either South Africa or New Zealand.
The odds would obviously be heavily stacked against Tandy and his men, but if we dare to dream, a semi-final victory over either the Springboks or All Blacks would see Wales through to the final, where they could face Ireland or England again.
Wales’ possible path through the 2027 Rugby World Cup:
- Round of 16 – Fiji v Wales
- Quarter-final – Wales v France
- Semi-final – Wales v South Africa
- Final – Wales v England
2027 Rugby World Cup pools in full:
Pool A: New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong China
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
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