🔗 Share this article England along with Wales Drawn in the Same Group for 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia The pool stage draw was overseen by sporting icons including two-time World Cup winner Dan Carter. The English side together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables. This draw mirrors their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock early exit. Other Notable Pool Pairings The Irish alongside the Scots also share a pool together, just as the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland failing to advance to the knockout stages. Los Teros 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 final, presuming the Springboks win their own group. Tournament Ramifications Should the pools conclude in line with the current global standings, other leading contenders like the All Blacks and France would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish until the championship decider. In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams. Tournament Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A. The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the competition. Elsewhere, reigning champions South Africa have been paired with the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa. Larger Format for 2027 Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France. This edition will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's history. While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16. Four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase. 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