🔗 Share this article England and Welsh Pitted in the Same Group for RWC 2027 in Australia The group draw was overseen by rugby icons including two-time World Cup winner Dan Carter. England together with their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe. This draw echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' shock early exit. Key Pool Pairings The Irish alongside Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they secured a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals. Uruguay and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group. Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa until the final, presuming the Springboks win their own group. Tournament Ramifications Should the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider. In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams. Tournament Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A. The Wallabies will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the event. Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa. Larger Format for 2027 Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France. This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in the competition's history. While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from 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 last 16. A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third 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