🔗 Share this article The English and Wales Drawn Together for RWC 2027 Down Under The group draw was overseen by sporting icons including former All Black Dan Carter. England and their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage encounter in Australia. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe. This pairing echoes their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at England's home ground contributed to the English team's surprise early exit. Other Notable Group Pairings Ireland and the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a convincing win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals. Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as surprise packages in the last World Cup, complete that same group. Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and world number one South Africa until the final, assuming the South Africans win their own group. Knockout Implications If the pools conclude according to the current global standings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish all the way to the final. Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland. Tournament Hosts Face Major Fixture Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A. Australia will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the event. Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa. Larger Tournament for 2027 Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and Canada as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in 2023. The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup existence. While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16. Four of the other six pool winners will face a third-placed side from the initial group phase. 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