🔗 Share this article Latin American Rugby Success Stories Fuel Men's Global Tournament Qualification Race As many supporters in the UK focus on club season-opening fortunes or debate upcoming fall test matches, the contest for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualifying rages on unabated. Chile's Remarkable Achievement Chile secured their back-to-back spot at the competition with a stunning playoff victory over Samoa last month, leaving a single remaining spot up for grabs for Australia in two years. Meanwhile, Paraguay stunned Brazil by twenty points in the opening match of their qualifying series. The second leg is scheduled on Saturday in the Brazilian city, near São Paulo, as Brazil's men's team aims to emulate the women's success and secure qualification for the first time. Upcoming Qualifying Clash Whether Paraguay manages a shock overall win, or Brazil recovers following head coach their coach's recent dismissal, the participants for next month's qualifying event in Dubai will then be finalized. The Namibian team, Belgium, and Samoa are already confirmed spots for the Middle Eastern showdown from 8-18 November. Global Qualification Updates Several other teams have also earned their spots. Hong Kong China sealed first-time World Cup entry following defeating Korea 70-22 in the summer, and Zimbabwe will return to the sport's premier tournament for the first time since 1991 by virtue of winning the African championship. Chile's Rising Profile The knock-on effect of Chile's playoff success means that Los Condores will face Italy for the first time in November during the autumn internationals, replacing Samoa who must participate in the Dubai tournament. The global governing body's chief executive described Chile an "exciting and fast-emerging power" in announcing the upcoming fixture in the Italian city. As local the sport markets seek increased attendance, rugby in Chile is buoyant. A sell-out audience of over 20,000 witnessed the playoff victory in Viña del Mar, and manager Pablo Lemoine has guided the team on an upward trajectory since taking over in recent years. Manager's Notable Legacy The fifty-year-old former Uruguay international prop has been influencing the game for decades: recruited by Bristol in the late 90s, he famously broke through the English defensive line to score at the 2003 global tournament. His influence as national coach has been equally significant: Chile have climbed to seventeenth place, their highest-ever position. During the previous tournament in France, they were beaten in all matches, conceding 215 points and registering 27, including a heavy loss to the English team. Nevertheless, they confidently found the positives, and after the 2027 draw in Sydney on 3 December, Lemoine can begin planning seriously. They faced the Scottish team last year, defeated 52-11 in front of twenty-four thousand fans, and while they were defeated over two legs by Uruguay in the first 2027 playoff, they achieved a 21-18 away victory in Montevideo. The Samoan Qualification Challenge The Samoan team, in contrast, have not missed all World Cup for decades, but are currently languishing in sixteenth position in the global rankings. They were winless in this year's regional tournament, leading to qualifying disappointment versus Chile, and the requirement to meet nations such as Belgium brings additional difficulty for the proud rugby nation. Tournament Structural Updates Apart from specific teams' fortunes, it is worth noting how different the expanded competition will look in 2027. For the first occasion, there will be a round of 16 with six groups of four teams instead of four groups of five. Group phase jeopardy is much lower because the four best third-placed teams will also advance. Hosts and Standings Consequences The organizers, Australia, are now ranked seventh in the world, meaning they would miss out on top seeding and could meet either the Springboks, the All Blacks, Ireland, the French, England, or Argentina in their group. They could climb into the highest seeds during a packed autumn schedule, though: England, Italy, the Irish squad, and the French team are their opponents, with a game versus the Japanese team in Tokyo also planned for 25 October. Wales, meanwhile, are balanced in 12th, with the Japanese side below, and the implications of dropping to thirteenth and into the third seeding group are possibly severe. American Presence and Upcoming Tournaments Another fresh aspect for 2027 is the presence of five nations from the American continent: Argentina, Uruguay, the United States, the Canadian team, and Chile – with Paraguay or Brazil possibly making it six. From the governing body's perspective, engagement from the Americas is beneficial, particularly with the 2031 tournament scheduled to be staged by the United States, and the host selection for the 2035 edition was launched recently. Current Focus For now, however. The second installment of Brazil versus Paraguay sets up a four-way qualifying contest, combined with a potential standings change throughout the European nations in the coming month. No matter how things pan out, Chile's qualification for a second consecutive World Cup has undoubtedly established them as a resounding success story.