🔗 Share this article England and Welsh Pitted in the Same Group for the 2027 World Cup Down Under The pool stage draw was overseen by rugby icons including former All Black Dan Carter. England and their Welsh counterparts will face off in the same group for the 2027 RWC, setting up a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables. This pairing echoes their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock early exit. Key Pool Draws Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals. Uruguay and Portugal, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D. Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool. Tournament Ramifications Should the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the final. In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland. Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their great rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A. The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition. Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa. Expanded Tournament for 2027 Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France. The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history. While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round. Four of the remaining six pool winners will play 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