🔗 Share this article England and Welsh Placed Together for RWC 2027 Down Under The group draw was overseen by rugby legends such as former All Black Dan Carter. The English side together with their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same group for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and Zimbabwe. This pairing recalls their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit. Other Notable Pool Pairings The Irish and Scotland also share a group together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they secured a convincing victory, with their opponents failing to progress to the knockout stages. Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, round out that Pool D. Significantly, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and top-ranked South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their own group. Knockout Implications If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and the Irish until the final. Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams. Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture Hosts the Wallabies find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A. The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to launch the competition. Elsewhere, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa. Larger Format for 2027 Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who competed in France. This edition will feature a round of 16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence. While the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round. A total of four of the remaining six group winners will face a team that finished third 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