🔗 Share this article England and Wales Placed in the Same Group for the 2027 World Cup Down Under The pool stage draw was overseen by sporting icons including former All Black Dan Carter. England together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables. This draw recalls their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise early exit. Key Group Draws Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals. Los Teros and Os Lobos, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D. Notably, the winners 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. Knockout Ramifications If the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from both England and Ireland until the final. Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland. Hosts Face Major Opener Hosts Australia have been drawn together with their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Group A. Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event. In other groups, reigning champions the Springboks have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa. Expanded Tournament for 2027 Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023. The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history. While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – 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