🔗 Share this article

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

Chile's Remarkable Achievement

Chile earned their back-to-back spot at the tournament with a stunning qualifying win against Samoa last month, leaving only a single remaining spot up for grabs for Australia in two years. At the same time, the Paraguayan side stunned Brazil by twenty points in the opening match of their qualifying series.

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

Forthcoming Qualification Showdown

Whether Paraguay manages a shock overall win, or Brazil bounces back after manager Emiliano Caffera's recent dismissal, the lineup for next month's qualifying event in Dubai will then be finalized. The Namibian team, the Belgian squad, and the Samoan side have already secured spots for the Middle Eastern competition from 8-18 November.

Global Qualifying Updates

Many additional teams have also secured their places. The Hong Kong China team achieved maiden qualification following defeating Korea by a large margin in the summer, while Zimbabwe will make a comeback to rugby union's premier tournament for the first time in over three decades by virtue of winning the African championship.

Chile's Rising Profile

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

World Rugby's chief executive called Chile an "exciting and rapidly rising force" in announcing the forthcoming match in Genoa. As local the sport promotional efforts seek larger crowds, rugby in Chile is thriving. A sell-out audience of over 20,000 saw the playoff victory in Viña del Mar, and manager Pablo Lemoine has led the squad on an upward trajectory since taking over in recent years.

Coach's Notable Career

The 50-year-old former Uruguay international prop has been influencing the game for many years: signed by Bristol in the late 90s, he famously broke through England defensive line to score at the 2003 global tournament.

His influence as head coach has been equally powerful: Chile have risen to 17th, their best ranking. During the previous tournament in France, they were defeated four times, allowing 215 points and registering twenty-seven, including a heavy loss against the English team.

However, they proudly took the positive aspects, and following the tournament draw in Sydney on 3 December, the coach can begin planning in earnest. They faced the Scottish team previously, losing by a significant margin before 24,000 supporters, and although they were beaten across both matches by Uruguay in the first 2027 playoff, they achieved a narrow win on the road in the Uruguayan capital.

The Samoan Qualification Challenge

The Samoan team, meanwhile, have not missed every Rugby World Cup for decades, but are currently languishing in 16th place in the global rankings. They were without a victory in the recent regional tournament, resulting in playoff misery against Chile, and the requirement to meet nations such as Belgium adds additional difficulty for the rugby-loving country.

Tournament Structural Updates

Apart from individual nations' performances, it is important to consider how different the expanded competition will appear in 2027. For the first occasion, there will be a knockout stage with six groups of four teams rather than four pools of five. Group phase risk is significantly reduced because the top four third-placed sides will additionally qualify.

Host Nation and Standings Consequences

The organizers, the Australian team, are currently placed seventh in the global rankings, which means they would miss out on top seeding and could face one of South Africa, the All Blacks, the Irish, the French, the English, or Argentina in their group. They may climb into the highest seeds during a busy November, however: the English team, the Italian side, the Irish squad, and the French team are their fixtures, with a match against Japan in the capital also scheduled for 25 October.

Wales, on the other hand, are balanced in twelfth place, with Japan behind, and the consequences of dropping to 13th and into the third seeding group are possibly severe.

American Representation and Future Tournaments

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 either Paraguay or Brazil potentially becoming the sixth. From the governing body's viewpoint, engagement from the Americas is positive, particularly with the 2031 World Cup set to be staged by the United States, and the selection process for the 2035 tournament was initiated recently.

Immediate Focus

For now, however. The return match of Brazil v Paraguay sets up a four-way Dubai shootout, combined with a potential rankings shake-up across Europe in November. No matter the outcome, Chile's qualification for a second Rugby World Cup has undoubtedly made them as a resounding success story.