🔗 Share this article South American Rugby Triumphs Drive Men's World Cup Qualification Race 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 qualifying continues at full pace. Chile's Remarkable Achievement Chile earned their second consecutive spot at the tournament with a stunning playoff victory over Samoa recently, leaving only one remaining spot up for grabs for Australia by 2027. At the same time, Paraguay stunned Brazil 39-19 in the first leg of their playoff. The second leg takes place on Saturday in Jacareí, close to São Paulo, while Brazil's squad attempts to emulate their women's achievement and qualify for the first time. Upcoming Qualification Clash Whether Paraguay completes a shock overall victory, or Brazil recovers following head coach their coach's recent dismissal, the lineup for November's Dubai qualification tournament will be confirmed. The Namibian team, the Belgian squad, and Samoa have already secured their places for the Middle Eastern competition from November 8th to 18th. Worldwide Qualification Developments Many other teams have also secured their places. The Hong Kong China team sealed first-time qualification following defeating Korea by a large margin in July, while Zimbabwe will make a comeback to rugby union's premier tournament for the first occasion since 1991 after winning the African championship. Chile's Growing Profile The knock-on effect of Chile's playoff success ensures that Los Condores will face Italy for the first time next month during the autumn internationals, replacing Samoa who are obligated to participate in Dubai. The global governing body's CEO described Chile an "exciting and fast-emerging force" in announcing the forthcoming match in the Italian city. As domestic the sport promotional efforts aim for increased attendance, Chilean rugby is buoyant. A sell-out audience of over 20,000 witnessed the qualifying win in Viña del Mar, and head coach Pablo Lemoine has led the squad on an upward trajectory since his appointment in 2018. Manager's Impressive Career The fifty-year-old former Uruguayan forward has been influencing the game for many years: signed by Bristol in the late 90s, he famously broke through England defensive line to touch down at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. His impact as head coach has been similarly powerful: Chile have climbed to seventeenth place, their highest-ever ranking. At the previous World Cup in Europe, they were defeated four times, allowing over two hundred points and scoring twenty-seven, including a 71-0 loss against England. Nevertheless, they confidently took the positive aspects, and following the 2027 draw in Sydney on December 3rd, the coach can begin planning in earnest. They faced the Scottish team previously, defeated 52-11 before 24,000 supporters, and although they were defeated over both matches by the Uruguayan side in the initial 2027 playoff, they achieved a narrow win on the road in Montevideo. The Samoan Qualification Challenge Samoa, in contrast, have participated in all World Cup since 1991, but are presently languishing in sixteenth position in the men's rankings. They were winless in the recent regional tournament, resulting in playoff misery versus Chile, and the requirement to meet nations such as Belgium adds additional challenge for the rugby-loving country. Competition Structural Updates Beyond individual nations' performances, it is important to consider how different the expanded tournament will look in the next edition. For the first occasion, there will be a knockout stage with six groups of four teams instead of four pools of five teams. Group phase risk is much lower because the four best third-placed teams will additionally advance. Host Nation and Standings Consequences The hosts, Australia, are currently placed seventh in the global rankings, meaning they would fall short on top seeding and could face either the Springboks, New Zealand, the Irish, France, England, or Argentina in Pool A. They may climb into the top six during a packed autumn schedule, though: England, the Italian side, Ireland, and the French team are their fixtures, with a game versus the Japanese team in the capital also scheduled for 25 October. Wales, meanwhile, are teetering in twelfth place, with Japan behind, and the implications of falling to 13th and into the third seeding group are possibly significant. American Representation and Upcoming Events Another new dimension for 2027 is the participation of five nations from the American continent: Argentina, the Uruguayan side, USA, the Canadian team, and Chile – with Paraguay or Brazil possibly making it six. From the governing body's perspective, American interest is beneficial, particularly with the 2031 World Cup set to be hosted by the USA, and the selection process for the 2035 edition was launched recently. Immediate Focus For now, however. The return match of Brazil versus Paraguay sets up a four-way qualifying contest, combined with a potential standings change across the European nations in November. Regardless of how things pan out, Chile's successful qualification for a second Rugby World Cup has undoubtedly established them as a clear success story.