🔗 Share this article

As numerous supporters in the UK focus on club season-opening fortunes or discuss upcoming fall test matches, the battle for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification continues at full pace.

Chile's Historic Achievement

Chile secured their back-to-back spot at the competition with a stunning qualifying win against Samoa recently, leaving one place left up for grabs for Australia in two years. Meanwhile, Paraguay surprised Brazil by twenty points in the opening match of their qualifying series.

The second leg takes place this Saturday in the Brazilian city, close to São Paulo, as Brazil's squad aims to follow the women's success and qualify for the first occasion.

Forthcoming Qualification Showdown

Whether Paraguay completes a surprise aggregate victory, or Brazil recovers following manager Emiliano Caffera's recent dismissal, the participants for next month's Dubai qualification tournament will then be finalized. The Namibian team, Belgium, and the Samoan side are already confirmed their places for the Dubai-based competition from November 8th to 18th.

Worldwide Qualification Developments

Several additional nations have also earned their spots. Hong Kong China sealed first-time World Cup entry following beating Korea 70-22 in the summer, while the Zimbabwean squad will make a comeback to the sport's premier tournament for the first time in over three decades by virtue of claiming victory in the African championship.

Chile's Growing Reputation

The consequence of Chile's playoff success ensures that Los Condores will face Italy for the first occasion in November during the fall test series, taking the place of Samoa who are obligated to compete in Dubai.

The global governing body's chief executive described Chile an "thrilling and fast-emerging power" in announcing the upcoming fixture in Genoa. As local the sport markets aim for larger crowds, rugby in Chile is buoyant. A capacity crowd of more than twenty thousand saw the playoff victory in Viña del Mar, and manager Pablo Lemoine has led the team on an upward trajectory since his appointment in 2018.

Coach's Impressive Legacy

The 50-year-old former Uruguayan prop has been influencing the game for decades: recruited by Bristol in the 1990s, he memorably broke through the English defense to score at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

His influence as national coach has been similarly significant: Chile have climbed to 17th, their highest-ever position. At the previous tournament in France, they were beaten in all matches, allowing over two hundred points and registering twenty-seven, including a heavy loss against the English team.

Nevertheless, they proudly took the positives, and after the tournament draw in Sydney on December 3rd, Lemoine can begin planning in earnest. They faced Scotland last year, defeated 52-11 before twenty-four thousand fans, and although they were beaten across two legs by Uruguay in the first 2027 playoff, they managed a 21-18 win on the road in the Uruguayan capital.

The Samoan Qualification Challenge

Samoa, in contrast, have participated in all World Cup since 1991, but are currently languishing in 16th place in the global rankings. They were winless in this year's Pacific Nations Cup, resulting in qualifying disappointment against Chile, and the need to face teams like Belgium brings further difficulty for the rugby-loving country.

Competition Format Changes

Beyond individual nations' fortunes, it is worth noting how different the larger tournament will look in the next edition. For the first time, there will be a knockout stage with six pools of four teams rather than four pools of five. Group phase risk is significantly reduced because the four best third-place sides will additionally qualify.

Host Nation and Rankings Consequences

The organizers, the Australian team, are now ranked seventh in the global rankings, meaning they would fall short on top seeding and could face either South Africa, New Zealand, the Irish, the French, the English, or Argentina in their group. They could climb into the top six during a busy November, however: England, the Italian side, Ireland, and the French team are their fixtures, with a match versus the Japanese team in Tokyo additionally scheduled for 25 October.

Wales, meanwhile, are teetering in 12th, with Japan behind, and the implications of falling to 13th and into the third seeding group are potentially significant.

Americas Presence and Upcoming Tournaments

An additional fresh aspect for the next World Cup is the presence of five nations from the American continent: the Argentine team, the Uruguayan side, USA, the Canadian team, and the Chilean squad – with Paraguay or Brazil potentially making it six. From World Rugby's perspective, American interest is positive, particularly with the 2031 tournament scheduled to be hosted by the United States, and the host selection for the 2035 edition was launched recently.

Immediate Focus

First things first, however. The return match of Brazil versus Paraguay sets up a four-team Dubai shootout, along with a potential rankings shake-up across the European nations in the coming month. No matter how things pan out, Chile's successful qualification for a second Rugby World Cup has already established them as a clear triumphant example.