🔗 Share this article

As many supporters in the UK focus on their clubs' early-season fortunes or discuss upcoming autumn internationals, the battle for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification continues at full pace.

Chile's Historic Accomplishment

Chile earned their second consecutive appearance at the tournament with a sensational playoff victory against Samoa last month, leaving a single place left up for grabs for the host nation by 2027. Meanwhile, the Paraguayan side stunned Brazil by twenty points in the opening match of their qualifying series.

The second leg takes place on Saturday in Jacareí, near São Paulo, as Brazil's squad aims to emulate their women's achievement and secure qualification for the first occasion.

Upcoming Qualification Clash

Whether Paraguay completes a shock overall victory, or Brazil bounces back following head coach Emiliano Caffera's departure, the lineup for November's qualifying event in Dubai will be confirmed. Namibia, the Belgian squad, and the Samoan side are already confirmed spots for the Middle Eastern competition from November 8th to 18th.

Worldwide Qualification Developments

Several additional nations have likewise secured their spots. The Hong Kong China team achieved first-time World Cup entry after beating Korea by a large margin in the summer, while Zimbabwe will return to the sport's most prestigious stage for the first time in over three decades by virtue of claiming victory in the Rugby Africa Cup.

Chile's Rising Reputation

The knock-on effect of Chile's playoff success ensures that Los Condores will face Italy for the first occasion next month during the autumn internationals, taking the place of Samoa who must compete in Dubai.

World Rugby's CEO described Chile an "exciting and fast-emerging power" in confirming the forthcoming match in Genoa. While local the sport markets seek increased attendance, Chilean rugby is thriving. A sell-out audience of over 20,000 saw the qualifying win in the coastal city, and manager the national coach has guided the squad on an upward trajectory since taking over in recent years.

Manager's Impressive Career

The fifty-year-old former Uruguay international forward has been making an impact for decades: signed by Bristol in the late 90s, he memorably ran straight through England defense to touch down at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

His influence as head coach has been similarly powerful: Chile have risen to 17th, their highest-ever ranking. At the last tournament in France, they were beaten four times, allowing over two hundred points and registering 27, including a heavy defeat to the English team.

However, they confidently took the positives, and after the tournament draw in Sydney on December 3rd, Lemoine can start preparations seriously. They faced the Scottish team previously, defeated by a significant margin in front of twenty-four thousand supporters, and although they were defeated across two legs by Uruguay in the first qualifying round, they managed a narrow away victory in the Uruguayan capital.

Samoa's Qualification Struggle

Samoa, meanwhile, have participated in all World Cup since 1991, but are currently languishing in sixteenth position in the men's rankings. They were without a victory in the recent Pacific Nations Cup, leading to playoff misery against Chile, and the requirement to face teams like Belgium brings additional difficulty for the proud rugby nation.

Competition Structural Updates

Beyond individual nations' performances, it is important to consider how changed the larger tournament will look in 2027. For the first occasion, there will be a round of 16 with six pools of four teams rather than four pools of five teams. Group phase jeopardy is much lower because the top four third-placed sides will also qualify.

Host Nation and Rankings Consequences

The hosts, the Australian team, are now placed seventh in the global rankings, which means they would fall short on a top seed and might face one of the Springboks, New Zealand, Ireland, the French, the English, or the Pumas in their group. They may climb into the top six during a busy November, though: the English team, Italy, Ireland, and France are their fixtures, with a match against the Japanese team in Tokyo additionally planned for October 25th.

The Welsh team, on the other hand, are balanced in twelfth place, with Japan behind, and the consequences of falling to thirteenth and into the third seeding group are potentially severe.

Americas Presence and Upcoming Events

Another fresh aspect for the next World Cup is the participation of five teams from the Americas: the Argentine team, the Uruguayan side, the United States, the Canadian team, and the Chilean squad – with Paraguay or Brazil potentially becoming the sixth. From World Rugby's perspective, American interest is positive, particularly with the 2031 tournament scheduled to be hosted by the USA, and the selection process for the 2035 tournament was initiated recently.

Current Priority

For now, though. The second installment of Brazil versus Paraguay sets up a four-team Dubai shootout, combined with a possible rankings shake-up across Europe in the coming month. Regardless of how things pan out, Chile's qualification for a second Rugby World Cup has already established them as a resounding success story.