🔗 Share this article Latin American Rugby Union Success Stories Fuel Men's World Cup Qualifying Campaign As many fans in the UK concentrate on club early-season performances or discuss forthcoming fall test matches, the battle for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualifying rages on at full pace. Chile's Remarkable Achievement Chile secured their back-to-back spot at the competition with a stunning qualifying win over Samoa last month, leaving a single place left to be claimed for Australia in two years. At the same time, the Paraguayan side surprised Brazil by twenty points in the opening match of their playoff. The return match takes place this Saturday in JacareÃ, close to São Paulo, as Brazil's men's team aims to follow the women's achievement and secure qualification for the first occasion. Upcoming Qualifying Clash Regardless of Paraguay manages a surprise aggregate victory, or Brazil recovers after manager their coach's departure, the participants for next month's qualifying event in Dubai will then be finalized. The Namibian team, Belgium, and the Samoan side are already confirmed spots for the Dubai-based competition from 8-18 November. Global Qualifying Updates Several additional teams have likewise earned their spots. Hong Kong China sealed first-time qualification following defeating Korea 70-22 in the summer, while the Zimbabwean squad will return to the sport's most prestigious stage for the first occasion since 1991 by virtue of claiming victory in the African championship. Chile's Growing Profile The consequence of Chile's playoff success means that Los Condores will play against Italy for the first occasion next month during the autumn internationals, taking the place of Samoa who must participate in Dubai. World Rugby's CEO described Chile an "thrilling and rapidly rising power" in announcing the upcoming fixture in Genoa. As local rugby promotional efforts aim for larger crowds, Chilean rugby is buoyant. A sell-out audience of over 20,000 saw the playoff victory in Viña del Mar, and head coach the national coach has guided the team on an upward trajectory since his appointment in 2018. Manager's Notable Legacy The 50-year-old ex- Uruguayan prop has been making an impact for decades: recruited by the English club in the 1990s, he memorably broke through the English defensive line to score at the 2003 global tournament. His impact as national coach has been similarly significant: Chile have climbed to 17th, their best ranking. At the previous tournament in Europe, they were defeated in all matches, allowing over two hundred points and scoring 27, featuring a heavy defeat against the English team. Nevertheless, they confidently found the positives, and following the tournament draw in Sydney on December 3rd, Lemoine can begin planning seriously. They faced the Scottish team previously, losing by a significant margin in front of 24,000 supporters, and although they were beaten across two legs by the Uruguayan side in the first 2027 playoff, they managed a narrow win on the road in the Uruguayan capital. The Samoan Qualifying Challenge The Samoan team, in contrast, have participated in all World Cup since 1991, but are presently sitting in sixteenth place in the global rankings. They were winless in the recent regional tournament, leading to playoff misery against Chile, and the need to meet nations such as Belgium adds further challenge for the rugby-loving country. Tournament Format Changes Apart from specific teams' performances, it is important to consider how different the expanded competition will appear in the next edition. For the first time, there will be a knockout stage with six pools of four rather than four groups of five. Group phase risk is significantly reduced because the four best third-place teams will also advance. Hosts and Standings Consequences The hosts, the Australian team, are now ranked seventh in the global rankings, which means they would fall short on a top seed and might face either the Springboks, New Zealand, Ireland, France, England, or the Pumas in Pool A. They may rise into the top six during a busy November, though: England, Italy, the Irish squad, and the French team are their opponents, with a match against the Japanese team in Tokyo also planned for October 25th. The Welsh team, meanwhile, are balanced in twelfth place, with Japan below, and the consequences of dropping to thirteenth and into the third seeding group are potentially significant. American Representation and Future Tournaments An additional new dimension for 2027 is the participation of five teams from the Americas: the Argentine team, the Uruguayan side, the United States, Canada, and Chile – with either Paraguay or Brazil possibly becoming the sixth. From World Rugby's perspective, American interest is positive, especially with the 2031 tournament set to be hosted by the USA, and the host selection for the 2035 edition was initiated recently. Current Priority For now, though. The second installment of Brazil v Paraguay prepares a four-way Dubai shootout, along with a potential standings change across the European nations in the coming month. No matter the outcome, Chile's qualification for a second consecutive World Cup has already established them as a clear success story.