🔗 Share this article England along with Wales Pitted in the Same Group for the 2027 World Cup in Australia The pool stage draw was conducted by rugby icons including two-time World Cup winner Dan Carter. England together with Wales have been drawn in the same pool for the World Cup in 2027, setting up a major early clash in Australia. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe. This pairing mirrors their memorable meeting in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's surprise early exit. Key Pool Pairings Ireland and the Scots also share a pool together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a convincing win, with their opponents unable to progress to the quarter-finals. Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each impressed as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that same group. Notably, the winners of these two groups are kept apart from holders and world number one the Springboks until the final, presuming the South Africans win their assigned pool. Knockout Ramifications Should the groups conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would also be kept apart from both the English and the Irish all the way to the championship decider. In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the knockout draw as England and Ireland. Hosts Face Blockbuster Opener Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Pool A. Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match aimed at launch the event. In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with Italy, the Lelos and Romania. France are grouped with Japan, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa. Expanded Format for 2027 Argentina will take on the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who took part in France. This edition will introduce a round of 16 stage for the first time in Rugby World Cup history. Although the victor of Pool F may avoid some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Group B – probably the Italians – in the last 16. A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play 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