🔗 Share this article The English along with Wales Placed in the Same Group for 2027 Rugby World Cup Down Under The group draw was conducted by sporting legends such as two-time World Cup winner Dan Carter. England together with their Welsh counterparts find themselves placed in an identical pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major pool stage encounter in Australia. Completing the group in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables. This pairing mirrors their memorable clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination. Other Notable Group Draws The Irish alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a pool once again, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to progress to the quarter-finals. Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D. Significantly, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool. Tournament Ramifications Should the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider. In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that half of the knockout draw as England and Ireland. Hosts Draw Major Opener Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A. The Wallabies will kick off the tournament in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to launch the competition. In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. France are grouped with Japan, 2031 hosts the USA and Manu Samoa. Expanded Format for 2027 Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in France. The 2027 tournament will introduce a last-16 stage for the first time in the competition's existence. While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16. A total of four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages. 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