🔗 Share this article England along with Wales Drawn Together for 2027 Rugby World Cup Down Under The group draw was conducted by sporting icons such as former All Black Dan Carter. England and their Welsh counterparts have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a major early clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe. This draw recalls their infamous 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. Key Pool Draws Ireland alongside the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland claimed a 36-14 victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages. Los Teros and Portugal, both impressed as surprise packages in France, complete that same group. Notably, the winners 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 assigned pool. Tournament Implications Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, other top favourites like New Zealand and Les Bleus would remain separated from both England and Ireland all the way to the final. In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland. Tournament Hosts Face Major Opener Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A. Australia will open the tournament in the city of Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee match aimed at jump-start the event. In other groups, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Samoa. Larger Tournament for 2027 Los Pumas will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the twenty who took part in 2023. This edition will introduce a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history. While the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will meet 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 pool stages. RWC 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