🔗 Share this article England and Wales Drawn in the Same Group for RWC 2027 Down Under The pool stage draw was conducted by rugby legends such as two-time World Cup winner Dan Carter. England together with Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables. This pairing recalls their infamous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's surprise group stage elimination. Other Notable Group Pairings Ireland and the Scots also share a pool together, just as the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals. Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, complete that Pool D. Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks win their own group. Knockout Implications Should the pools conclude according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland until the final. Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland. Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener Hosts Australia find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A. The Wallabies will open the tournament in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event. Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa. Larger Format for 2027 Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in France. The 2027 tournament will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's history. Although the victor of England and Wales's group may avoid some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably Italy – in the first knockout round. Four of the remaining six group winners will play 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