🔗 Share this article England and Wales Pitted in the Same Group for 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia The pool stage draw was conducted by sporting icons including former All Black Dan Carter. England and Wales will face off in the same group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables. This draw echoes their famous clash in the group phase of the 2015 World Cup, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination. Key Pool Pairings Ireland and Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. On that occasion, they claimed a convincing victory, with Scotland unable to advance to the quarter-finals. Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that same group. Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and world number one the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool. Tournament Ramifications If the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the final. Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the other top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams. Hosts Face Blockbuster Fixture Hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and three-time winners the All Blacks in Pool A. The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on 1 October 2027 in a marquee fixture aimed at jump-start the competition. Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa. Larger Format for 2027 Argentina will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the twenty who took part in France. This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history. While the winner of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16. Four of the other six pool winners will play a third-placed side from the initial group phase. 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