🔗 Share this article England and Welsh Placed Together for 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia The group draw was conducted by sporting legends such as two-time World Cup winner Dan Carter. England and Wales find themselves placed in an identical pool 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 Zimbabwe. This pairing recalls their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock early exit. Key Group Draws Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals. Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D. Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their own group. Knockout Implications Should the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, further top favourites like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the final. In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland. Hosts Draw Major Fixture Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A. Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event. In other groups, reigning champions South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa. Larger Format for 2027 Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023. This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup existence. Although the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round. Four of the remaining six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages. RWC 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