🔗 Share this article Latin American Rugby Union Success Stories Drive Men's World Cup Qualifying Campaign As many fans in the UK focus on their clubs' season-opening performances or discuss forthcoming autumn internationals, the battle for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualifying rages on unabated. Chile's Historic Accomplishment Chile earned their second consecutive spot at the competition with a sensational qualifying win over Samoa last month, leaving only a single remaining spot up for grabs for Australia in two years. Meanwhile, the Paraguayan side surprised Brazil 39-19 in the first leg of their qualifying series. The return match is scheduled on Saturday in JacareÃ, close to São Paulo, while Brazil's men's team attempts to emulate their women's success and secure qualification for the first time. Forthcoming Qualifying Showdown Regardless of Paraguay manages a surprise aggregate victory, or Brazil bounces back after head coach Emiliano Caffera's departure, the participants for November's qualifying event in Dubai will be confirmed. Namibia, the Belgian squad, and the Samoan side have already secured their places for the Dubai-based competition from 8-18 November. Worldwide Qualifying Developments Many additional teams have also earned their spots. Hong Kong China achieved maiden qualification after beating Korea 70-22 in July, while Zimbabwe will make a comeback to rugby union's most prestigious stage for the first time in over three decades 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 play against Italy for the first occasion in November during the fall test series, replacing Samoa who are obligated to participate in Dubai. The global governing body's CEO described Chile an "thrilling and rapidly rising power" in confirming the upcoming fixture in the Italian city. While domestic rugby markets seek larger crowds, rugby in Chile is buoyant. A capacity crowd of over 20,000 witnessed the qualifying win in the coastal city, and manager Pablo Lemoine has guided the team on an improving path since his appointment in 2018. Coach's Impressive Legacy The 50-year-old former Uruguayan forward has been influencing the game for decades: recruited by the English club in the late 90s, he famously broke through the English defense to touch down at the 2003 global tournament. His influence as national coach has been similarly powerful: Chile have climbed to 17th, their highest-ever ranking. At the previous World Cup in France, they were beaten in all matches, conceding 215 points and scoring twenty-seven, featuring a 71-0 loss against England. Nevertheless, they proudly took the positives, and after the tournament draw in Sydney on 3 December, Lemoine can begin planning in earnest. They faced the Scottish team previously, defeated by a significant margin before 24,000 fans, and although they were beaten over two legs by Uruguay in the initial qualifying round, they managed a 21-18 away victory in the Uruguayan capital. Samoa's Qualification Challenge Samoa, meanwhile, have not missed all Rugby World Cup since 1991, but are currently languishing in 16th position in the global rankings. They were winless in this year's regional tournament, resulting in qualifying disappointment against Chile, and the need to meet nations such as Belgium adds further challenge for the rugby-loving country. Competition Structural Updates Apart from specific teams' performances, it is important to consider how different the larger competition will look in the next edition. For the first time, there will be a round of 16 with six pools of four instead of four groups of five. Pool-stage risk is significantly reduced because the four best third-place teams will also qualify. Hosts and Standings Implications The hosts, the Australian team, are now ranked seventh in the global rankings, which means they would miss out on top seeding and might face either South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, France, the English, or Argentina in their group. They may climb into the top six during a busy November, however: the English team, Italy, Ireland, and France are their fixtures, with a match against the Japanese team in Tokyo also scheduled for 25 October. Wales, meanwhile, are balanced in 12th, with the Japanese side behind, and the consequences of dropping to 13th and into pot three are possibly severe. Americas Presence and Future Tournaments An additional fresh aspect for the next World Cup is the presence of five nations from the American continent: the Argentine team, the Uruguayan side, the United States, the Canadian team, and Chile – with either Paraguay or Brazil potentially becoming the sixth. From World Rugby's perspective, engagement from the Americas is beneficial, especially with the 2031 World Cup set to be hosted by the USA, and the selection process for the 2035 edition was launched recently. Immediate Priority First things first, though. The return match of Brazil versus Paraguay prepares a four-team qualifying contest, combined with a possible standings change across Europe in November. No matter how things pan out, Chile's successful qualification for a second consecutive World Cup has undoubtedly established them as a resounding success story.