🔗 Share this article South American Rugby Success Stories Drive Men's Global Tournament Qualification Race While many supporters in the UK focus on their clubs' early-season performances or discuss upcoming autumn internationals, the battle for World Cup 2027 qualification rages on at full pace. Chile's Historic Accomplishment Chile earned their second consecutive appearance at the competition with a sensational qualifying win against Samoa last month, leaving one remaining spot up for grabs for the host nation in two years. At the same time, Paraguay stunned Brazil 39-19 in the first leg of their playoff. The second leg takes place on Saturday in the Brazilian city, close to São Paulo, while Brazil's squad aims to follow the women's success and qualify for the first occasion. Upcoming Qualifying Showdown Regardless of Paraguay manages a surprise aggregate victory, or Brazil bounces back after head coach Emiliano Caffera's recent dismissal, the participants for next month's Dubai qualification tournament will be confirmed. Namibia, Belgium, and the Samoan side are already confirmed spots for the Middle Eastern competition from 8-18 November. Worldwide Qualifying Developments Many other nations have likewise secured their spots. The Hong Kong China team sealed first-time qualification after beating Korea 70-22 in July, while the Zimbabwean squad will make a comeback to rugby union's most prestigious stage for the first occasion since 1991 after claiming victory in the Rugby Africa Cup. Chile's Growing 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 fall test series, replacing Samoa who are obligated to participate in the Dubai tournament. World Rugby's CEO called Chile an "exciting and rapidly rising force" in announcing the forthcoming match in Genoa. While local the sport markets aim for larger crowds, rugby in Chile is thriving. A sell-out audience of over 20,000 saw the qualifying win in Viña del Mar, and manager Pablo Lemoine has guided the team on an improving path since his appointment in 2018. Coach's Notable Legacy The 50-year-old former Uruguay international forward has been making an impact for decades: recruited by the English club in the 1990s, he famously broke through England defense to score at the 2003 global tournament. His influence as head coach has been similarly significant: Chile have climbed to 17th, their highest-ever ranking. During the previous World Cup in France, they were defeated in all matches, conceding 215 points and registering twenty-seven, including a 71-0 loss to England. However, they confidently found the positive aspects, and after the 2027 draw in Australia on 3 December, the coach can start preparations in earnest. They hosted Scotland last year, losing by a significant margin before 24,000 supporters, and while they were beaten over two legs by Uruguay in the first qualifying round, they managed a 21-18 away victory in the Uruguayan capital. Samoa's Qualifying Challenge Samoa, in contrast, have not missed all Rugby World Cup since 1991, but are currently languishing in sixteenth place in the global rankings. They were winless in the recent Pacific Nations Cup, resulting in playoff misery against Chile, and the need to meet nations such as Belgium brings further difficulty for the proud rugby nation. Competition Format Changes Beyond individual nations' fortunes, it is important to consider how changed the larger tournament will appear in the next edition. For the first occasion, there will be a round of 16 with six groups of four rather than four pools of five teams. Group phase risk is much lower because the four best third-place sides will also advance. Hosts and Standings Consequences The organizers, Australia, are currently placed seventh in the world, meaning they would fall short on top seeding and could face one of South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, the French, England, or Argentina in Pool A. They could rise into the top six during a busy November, though: the English team, the Italian side, the Irish squad, and France are their fixtures, with a match against the Japanese team in Tokyo additionally planned for 25 October. Wales, meanwhile, are balanced in twelfth place, with Japan below, and the implications of falling to 13th and into the third seeding group are possibly significant. Americas Representation and Future Events An additional fresh aspect for 2027 is the presence of five nations from the American continent: the Argentine team, Uruguay, the United States, the Canadian team, and the Chilean squad – with either Paraguay or Brazil potentially becoming the sixth. From World Rugby's perspective, engagement from the Americas is beneficial, particularly with the 2031 World Cup set to be hosted by the USA, and the host selection for the 2035 tournament was launched last month. Current Focus First things first, however. The return match of Brazil versus Paraguay sets up a four-way qualifying contest, along with a potential standings change across Europe in November. No matter the outcome, Chile's successful qualification for a second Rugby World Cup has undoubtedly made them as a resounding success story.