🔗 Share this article South American Rugby Union Triumphs Fuel Men's Global Tournament Qualifying Race As many supporters in the UK focus on club early-season fortunes or discuss upcoming fall test matches, the contest for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification continues at full pace. Chile's Remarkable Accomplishment Chile earned their second consecutive spot at the tournament with a stunning playoff victory against Samoa last month, leaving a single remaining spot up for grabs for the host nation by 2027. At the same time, Paraguay stunned Brazil 39-19 in the opening match of their qualifying series. The return match takes place this Saturday in JacareÃ, near São Paulo, as Brazil's squad aims to emulate the women's achievement and secure qualification for the first occasion. Upcoming Qualification Clash Whether Paraguay completes a surprise aggregate win, or Brazil recovers following manager their coach's departure, the lineup for next month's qualifying event in Dubai will then be finalized. The Namibian team, the Belgian squad, and the Samoan side are already confirmed their places for the Middle Eastern competition from November 8th to 18th. Global Qualification Updates Several other nations have likewise secured their spots. The Hong Kong China team sealed first-time qualification following defeating Korea by a large margin in the summer, while the Zimbabwean squad will return to the sport's most prestigious stage for the first occasion in over three decades after claiming victory in the Rugby Africa Cup. Chile's Growing Reputation 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 autumn internationals, taking the place of Samoa who are obligated to compete in Dubai. World Rugby's CEO described Chile an "thrilling and fast-emerging force" in confirming the forthcoming match in the Italian city. As local rugby promotional efforts aim for larger crowds, Chilean rugby is buoyant. A sell-out audience of over 20,000 witnessed the qualifying win in Viña del Mar, and manager the national coach has guided the team on an improving path since his appointment in 2018. Coach's Impressive Career The fifty-year-old former Uruguayan prop has been influencing the game for decades: recruited by Bristol in the 1990s, he memorably broke through the English defensive line to score at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. His influence as national coach has been similarly powerful: Chile have risen to seventeenth place, their highest-ever ranking. During the last World Cup in France, they were beaten in all matches, conceding over two hundred points and registering 27, featuring a heavy loss to the English team. Nevertheless, they proudly took the positives, and following the tournament draw in Sydney on December 3rd, Lemoine can begin planning seriously. They hosted the Scottish team last year, losing by a significant margin before 24,000 fans, and although they were beaten across two legs by Uruguay in the first 2027 playoff, they achieved a 21-18 win on the road in Montevideo. Samoa's Qualification Challenge The Samoan team, meanwhile, have participated in every World Cup for decades, but are currently sitting in sixteenth place in the men's rankings. They were without a victory in this year's Pacific Nations Cup, leading to playoff misery against Chile, and the requirement to meet teams like Belgium adds additional challenge for the proud rugby nation. Competition Format Changes Apart from individual nations' fortunes, it is important to consider how changed 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 groups of five. Group phase jeopardy is significantly reduced because the four best third-place teams will also qualify. Host Nation and Rankings Implications The hosts, the Australian team, are now placed seventh in the global rankings, meaning they would miss out on a top seed and could face one of the Springboks, the All Blacks, the Irish, France, England, or the Pumas in their group. They may climb into the top six during a packed autumn schedule, though: the English team, the Italian side, Ireland, and France are their fixtures, with a match against Japan in Tokyo also planned for October 25th. Wales, meanwhile, are teetering in 12th, with Japan below, and the consequences of dropping to 13th and into pot three are possibly significant. Americas Presence and Future Tournaments An additional new dimension for 2027 is the participation of five teams from the American continent: Argentina, Uruguay, the United States, Canada, and Chile – with either Paraguay or Brazil potentially becoming the sixth. From World Rugby's viewpoint, engagement from the Americas is beneficial, especially with the 2031 World Cup set to be staged by the United States, and the selection process for the 2035 tournament was launched last month. Immediate Priority First things first, however. The second installment of Brazil v Paraguay sets up a four-way qualifying contest, combined with a potential standings change across Europe in November. No matter the outcome, Chile's qualification for a second consecutive World Cup has undoubtedly established them as a clear success story.