🔗 Share this article

While many supporters in the UK focus on club early-season performances or debate upcoming autumn internationals, the battle for World Cup 2027 qualification continues at full pace.

Chile's Remarkable Accomplishment

Chile earned their back-to-back spot at the tournament with a stunning qualifying win over Samoa last month, leaving one remaining spot up for grabs for Australia by 2027. At the same time, the Paraguayan side surprised Brazil by twenty points in the first leg of their qualifying series.

The second leg takes place this Saturday in the Brazilian city, near São Paulo, while Brazil's squad aims to emulate the women's success and qualify for the first time.

Forthcoming Qualifying Clash

Regardless of Paraguay completes a shock overall victory, or Brazil bounces back after manager Emiliano Caffera's recent dismissal, the lineup for next month's Dubai qualification tournament will then be finalized. The Namibian team, Belgium, and the Samoan side have already secured spots for the Middle Eastern showdown from November 8th to 18th.

Global Qualification Updates

Many additional nations have also earned their spots. The Hong Kong China team achieved first-time World Cup entry after defeating Korea by a large margin in July, while the Zimbabwean squad will return to rugby union's premier tournament for the first occasion in over three decades after winning the African championship.

Chile's Growing Profile

The knock-on effect of Chile's qualifying triumph means that Los Condores will play against Italy for the first occasion in November during the fall test series, replacing Samoa who are obligated to participate in Dubai.

World Rugby's chief executive described Chile an "exciting and rapidly rising power" in announcing the upcoming fixture in the Italian city. While local rugby markets aim for increased attendance, Chilean rugby is thriving. A sell-out audience of over 20,000 witnessed the qualifying win in the coastal city, and manager Pablo Lemoine has led the team on an improving path since his appointment in 2018.

Manager's Impressive Career

The fifty-year-old ex- Uruguay international prop has been influencing the game for decades: recruited by Bristol in the 1990s, he famously ran straight through England defense to score at the 2003 global tournament.

His impact as head coach has been similarly powerful: Chile have risen to 17th, their best ranking. At the previous tournament in Europe, they were defeated four times, allowing 215 points and scoring twenty-seven, featuring a heavy loss against the English team.

Nevertheless, they confidently found the positives, and following the tournament draw in Australia on 3 December, the coach can begin planning in earnest. They faced the Scottish team last year, losing by a significant margin in front of twenty-four thousand fans, and while they were defeated over two legs by Uruguay in the first 2027 playoff, they managed a narrow away victory in Montevideo.

The Samoan Qualifying Struggle

Samoa, meanwhile, have participated in every Rugby World Cup for decades, but are currently languishing in sixteenth place in the global rankings. They were winless in this year's Pacific Nations Cup, resulting in playoff misery against Chile, and the requirement to meet teams like Belgium adds further challenge for the rugby-loving country.

Tournament Format Changes

Beyond specific teams' performances, it is worth noting how different the expanded competition will look in 2027. For the first occasion, there will be a round of 16 with six pools of four instead of four pools of five teams. Group phase jeopardy is significantly reduced because the four best third-place sides will also advance.

Host Nation and Rankings Consequences

The organizers, the Australian team, are now ranked seventh in the world, meaning they would fall short on top seeding and could meet either South Africa, the All Blacks, Ireland, the French, England, or Argentina in Pool A. They may climb into the top six during a busy November, though: the English team, Italy, Ireland, and France are their fixtures, with a game against Japan in the capital also planned for 25 October.

The Welsh team, on the other hand, are teetering in twelfth place, with the Japanese side below, and the consequences of falling to thirteenth and into pot three are possibly severe.

Americas Representation and Upcoming Events

An additional fresh aspect for 2027 is the presence of five teams from the American continent: the Argentine team, the Uruguayan side, the United States, the Canadian team, and Chile – with Paraguay or Brazil potentially becoming the sixth. From the governing body's viewpoint, engagement from the Americas is beneficial, especially with the 2031 World Cup set to be hosted by the United States, and the selection process for the 2035 edition was initiated recently.

Current Priority

First things first, however. The return match of Brazil versus Paraguay prepares a four-team qualifying contest, combined with a possible rankings shake-up across the European nations in November. No matter the outcome, Chile's successful qualification for a second Rugby World Cup has already established them as a clear success story.