🔗 Share this article England and Welsh Pitted Together for the 2027 World Cup Down Under The group draw was conducted by sporting icons including two-time World Cup winner Dan Carter. The English side together with Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables. This draw recalls their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' shock group stage elimination. Other Notable Group Pairings Ireland alongside the Scots also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the quarter-finals. 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 the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool. Tournament Implications If the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, other top favourites like the All Blacks and France would remain separated from both the English and the Irish until the championship decider. In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams. Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Group A. The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the competition. Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. France are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the United States and Samoa. Expanded Format for 2027 Argentina will face Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in France. This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history. Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Pool B – most likely Italy – in the last 16. Four of the other six group winners will play a team that finished third 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