🔗 Share this article England along with Welsh Pitted in the Same Group for 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia The pool stage draw was conducted by sporting icons including two-time World Cup winner Dan Carter. The English side and their Welsh counterparts will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a highly-anticipated pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables. This pairing echoes their famous meeting in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the English team's shock early exit. Key Pool Pairings Ireland alongside the Scots also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they secured a 36-14 victory, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages. Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group. Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and top-ranked South Africa until the final, assuming the Springboks top their own group. Knockout Implications If the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland until the championship decider. In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams. Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Pool A. The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a blockbuster fixture aimed at launch the competition. Elsewhere, holders South Africa have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa. Larger Tournament for 2027 Argentina will take on Fiji, 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 the competition's history. While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will meet the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16. A total of 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