🔗 Share this article

As many supporters in the UK focus on their clubs' season-opening performances or discuss upcoming autumn internationals, the battle for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualifying rages on at full pace.

Chile's Remarkable Achievement

Chile secured their second consecutive spot at the tournament with a stunning qualifying win over Samoa recently, leaving only a single place left up for grabs for Australia in two years. Meanwhile, the Paraguayan side stunned Brazil by twenty points in the first leg of their qualifying series.

The second leg takes place this Saturday in Jacareí, near São Paulo, as Brazil's squad aims to follow their women's achievement and qualify for the first time.

Forthcoming Qualifying Showdown

Whether Paraguay manages a surprise aggregate win, or Brazil bounces back following manager Emiliano Caffera's recent dismissal, the participants for next month's Dubai qualification tournament will be confirmed. Namibia, Belgium, and Samoa have already secured their places for the Dubai-based showdown from November 8th to 18th.

Worldwide Qualification Developments

Many additional nations have also secured their places. The Hong Kong China team sealed maiden qualification following defeating Korea 70-22 in the summer, while the Zimbabwean squad will return to rugby union's premier tournament for the first time in over three decades after winning the African championship.

Chile's Rising Profile

The consequence of Chile's playoff success ensures that Los Condores will play against Italy for the first time in November during the fall test series, taking the place of Samoa who must compete in the Dubai tournament.

The global governing body's CEO called Chile an "exciting and fast-emerging force" in announcing the upcoming match in the Italian city. As local the sport markets seek larger crowds, Chilean rugby is thriving. A capacity crowd of over 20,000 saw the playoff victory in Viña del Mar, and head coach Pablo Lemoine has guided the team on an improving path since taking over in recent years.

Manager's Notable Career

The fifty-year-old former Uruguayan forward has been influencing the game for many years: recruited by Bristol in the 1990s, he memorably broke through the English defense to touch down at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

His impact as head coach has been equally significant: Chile have climbed to seventeenth place, their highest-ever position. At the previous tournament in France, they were beaten in all matches, allowing over two hundred points and registering 27, including a 71-0 defeat against England.

However, they proudly found the positives, and following the tournament draw in Australia on 3 December, Lemoine can begin planning in earnest. They hosted the Scottish team last year, losing by a significant margin in front of 24,000 fans, and although they were beaten over two legs by Uruguay in the first 2027 playoff, they managed a narrow away victory in Montevideo.

Samoa's Qualifying Struggle

Samoa, meanwhile, have not missed every Rugby World Cup for decades, but are currently languishing in sixteenth place in the men's rankings. They were winless in the recent Pacific Nations Cup, resulting in playoff misery versus Chile, and the need to meet teams like Belgium brings additional difficulty for the rugby-loving country.

Competition Structural Updates

Beyond specific teams' performances, it is worth noting how different the expanded competition will look in the next edition. For the first time, there will be a round of 16 with six groups of four instead of four pools of five teams. Group phase risk is significantly reduced because the top four third-placed sides will additionally advance.

Hosts and Rankings Implications

The organizers, the Australian team, are currently placed seventh in the world, meaning they would miss out on top seeding and could face either South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, the French, England, or Argentina in Pool A. They could climb into the top six during a busy November, though: England, the Italian side, Ireland, and France are their fixtures, with a match against Japan in the capital additionally planned for October 25th.

Wales, meanwhile, are teetering in 12th, with the Japanese side below, and the implications of falling to thirteenth and into pot three are potentially significant.

Americas Presence and Upcoming Events

Another new dimension for 2027 is the presence of five nations from the American continent: Argentina, Uruguay, USA, Canada, and the Chilean squad – with either Paraguay or Brazil potentially making it six. From the governing body's viewpoint, American interest is positive, particularly with the 2031 tournament set to be hosted by the USA, and the host selection for the 2035 edition was launched last month.

Immediate Priority

For now, however. The second installment of Brazil versus Paraguay prepares a four-team qualifying contest, combined with a possible standings change throughout the European nations in the coming month. Regardless of how things pan out, Chile's successful qualification for a second consecutive World Cup has undoubtedly established them as a resounding success story.