🔗 Share this article England and Welsh Pitted Together for 2027 Rugby World Cup Down Under The pool stage draw was overseen by sporting legends including former All Black Dan Carter. England together with Wales will face off in an identical pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables. This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination. Key Pool Pairings The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the knockout stages. Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D. Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa before the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group. Tournament Implications If the groups play out in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider. In that scenario, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland. Hosts Draw Major Fixture Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A. The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the competition. In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa. Expanded Format for 2027 Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in France. This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence. While the winner of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16. Four of the remaining six group winners will play 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