🔗 Share this article Latin American Rugby Triumphs Drive Men's Global Tournament Qualification Campaign While numerous supporters in the UK concentrate on club season-opening fortunes or discuss upcoming fall test matches, the battle for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification continues unabated. Chile's Historic Accomplishment Chile earned their back-to-back spot at the competition with a stunning qualifying win against Samoa last month, leaving only a single place left to be claimed for the host nation by 2027. Meanwhile, the Paraguayan side surprised Brazil by twenty points in the first leg of their qualifying series. The return match takes place on Saturday in the Brazilian city, close to São Paulo, while Brazil's men's team attempts to follow their women's achievement and qualify for the first time. Forthcoming Qualifying Showdown Whether Paraguay manages a surprise aggregate win, or Brazil recovers following manager Emiliano Caffera's recent dismissal, the lineup for next month's qualifying event in Dubai will then be finalized. The Namibian team, Belgium, and Samoa have already secured their places for the Dubai-based showdown from 8-18 November. Worldwide Qualifying Developments Several additional nations have also earned their places. Hong Kong China sealed first-time qualification following beating Korea by a large margin in July, while the Zimbabwean squad will make a comeback to the sport's most prestigious stage for the first occasion in over three decades after winning the Rugby Africa Cup. Chile's Growing Profile The knock-on effect of Chile's qualifying triumph ensures that Los Condores will play against Italy for the first time in November during the fall test series, replacing Samoa who must participate in Dubai. The global governing body's CEO described Chile an "thrilling and rapidly rising power" in confirming the forthcoming match in Genoa. As domestic rugby promotional efforts aim for larger crowds, Chilean rugby is buoyant. A sell-out audience of more than twenty thousand 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. Coach's Notable Legacy The fifty-year-old ex- Uruguay international forward has been making an impact for many years: recruited by the English club in the 1990s, he memorably ran straight through England defensive line to score at the 2003 global tournament. His impact as head coach has been similarly powerful: Chile have climbed to seventeenth place, their best position. During the previous World Cup in France, they were beaten four times, allowing 215 points and registering twenty-seven, including a 71-0 loss against the English team. Nevertheless, they confidently took the positive aspects, and after the tournament draw in Australia on December 3rd, Lemoine can start preparations in earnest. They faced the Scottish team previously, defeated by a significant margin in front of twenty-four thousand fans, and while they were defeated over two legs by Uruguay in the first qualifying round, they managed a 21-18 win on the road in the Uruguayan capital. The Samoan Qualification Challenge The Samoan team, meanwhile, have participated in every Rugby World Cup for decades, but are presently languishing in sixteenth position in the men's rankings. They were without a victory in the recent regional tournament, resulting in qualifying disappointment versus Chile, and the need to face teams like Belgium adds further difficulty for the proud rugby nation. Tournament Format Changes Beyond specific teams' fortunes, it is worth noting how different the larger competition will look in 2027. For the first occasion, there will be a knockout stage with six pools of four teams instead of four groups of five teams. Pool-stage jeopardy is much lower because the four best third-place sides will additionally advance. Hosts and Rankings Consequences The organizers, Australia, are now placed seventh in the global rankings, meaning they would miss out on top seeding and could face either South Africa, the All Blacks, the Irish, France, England, or the Pumas in their group. They may climb into the top six during a busy November, however: England, Italy, Ireland, and the French team are their fixtures, with a game versus the Japanese team in the capital also scheduled for October 25th. The Welsh team, meanwhile, are teetering in twelfth place, with the Japanese side behind, and the consequences of dropping to thirteenth and into the third seeding group are possibly significant. Americas Representation and Upcoming Events An additional fresh aspect for 2027 is the participation of five nations from the American continent: the Argentine team, the Uruguayan side, the United States, Canada, and the Chilean squad – with either Paraguay or Brazil possibly making it six. From World Rugby's viewpoint, American interest is positive, particularly with the 2031 World Cup set to be staged by the USA, and the selection process for the 2035 tournament was initiated last month. Immediate Priority For now, though. The second installment of Brazil v Paraguay sets up a four-team Dubai shootout, along with a potential standings change throughout Europe in the coming month. Regardless of the outcome, Chile's successful qualification for a second Rugby World Cup has already established them as a clear triumphant example.