🔗 Share this article The English and Welsh Pitted Together for RWC 2027 Down Under The pool stage draw was overseen by rugby icons such as former All Black Dan Carter. England and Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the 2027 RWC, promising a highly-anticipated early encounter in the tournament Down Under. They are joined in Group F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe. This draw echoes their famous meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination. Other Notable Pool Pairings Ireland and Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with Scotland unable to advance to the knockout stages. Uruguay and Os Lobos, both made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that same group. Notably, the winners of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from holders and world number one South Africa until the showpiece match, assuming the South Africans win their own group. Knockout Implications If the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and the Irish until the championship decider. Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams. Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener Tournament hosts the Wallabies have been drawn together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A. The Wallabies will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee fixture designed to jump-start the competition. In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa. Expanded Format for 2027 Los Pumas will face Fiji, Los Leones and Canada as the tournament expands to twenty-four nations from the twenty who competed in France. This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the very first time in the competition's existence. Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – most likely the Italians – in the first knockout round. Four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase. RWC 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