🔗 Share this article England and Welsh Drawn in the Same Group for 2027 Rugby World Cup Down Under The group draw was overseen by sporting legends including two-time World Cup winner Dan Carter. The English side together with Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe. This pairing mirrors their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the hosts' shock group stage elimination. Other Notable Pool Pairings The Irish alongside the Scots also share a group once again, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages. Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group. Notably, the victors of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their assigned pool. Tournament Implications If the groups conclude according to the current global standings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the final. In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on that half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams. Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A. Australia will kick off the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the event. Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Manu Samoa. Expanded Format for 2027 Argentina will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup expands to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France. The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 round for the first time in Rugby World Cup history. While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round. A total of four of the other six group winners will face 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