🔗 Share this article England and Welsh Placed Together for RWC 2027 Down Under The group draw was overseen by sporting legends including former All Black Dan Carter. The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables. This draw mirrors their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise early exit. Other Notable Group Draws Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 victory, with their opponents failing to advance to the quarter-finals. Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, complete that Pool D. Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool. Tournament Ramifications If the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish until the final. In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland. Hosts Draw Major Opener Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A. Australia will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at jump-start the competition. In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa. Larger Tournament for 2027 Los Pumas will take on the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in 2023. The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history. While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – most likely Italy – in the first knockout round. A total of four of the other six pool winners will play a team that finished third from the initial group phase. 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