🔗 Share this article Latin American Rugby Union Success Stories Fuel Men's World Cup Qualifying Race While many supporters in the UK concentrate on club season-opening fortunes or debate upcoming autumn internationals, the battle for World Cup 2027 qualification continues unabated. Chile's Historic Achievement Chile secured their second consecutive appearance at the tournament with a stunning qualifying win against Samoa recently, leaving one place left up for grabs for the host nation by 2027. At the same time, Paraguay surprised Brazil 39-19 in the first leg of their playoff. The second leg takes place on Saturday in the Brazilian city, near São Paulo, while Brazil's men's team attempts to emulate the women's success and secure qualification for the first occasion. Upcoming Qualifying Clash Whether Paraguay completes a shock overall victory, or Brazil recovers following head coach Emiliano Caffera's departure, the lineup for next month's qualifying event in Dubai will then be finalized. Namibia, the Belgian squad, and the Samoan side have already secured their places for the Middle Eastern showdown from November 8th to 18th. Worldwide Qualifying Updates Many other teams have also earned their places. The Hong Kong China team achieved first-time World Cup entry following beating Korea by a large margin in July, and the Zimbabwean squad will return to rugby union's most prestigious stage for the first time in over three decades by virtue of claiming victory in the African championship. Chile's Growing Reputation The knock-on effect of Chile's qualifying triumph means that Los Condores will face Italy for the first occasion in November during the autumn internationals, taking the place of Samoa who are obligated to compete in Dubai. World Rugby's CEO called Chile an "thrilling and rapidly rising power" in confirming the upcoming fixture in Genoa. As local rugby promotional efforts aim for increased attendance, rugby in Chile is thriving. A sell-out audience of more than twenty thousand witnessed the qualifying win in the coastal city, and head coach the national coach has led the squad on an improving path since his appointment in recent years. Manager's Impressive Legacy The fifty-year-old former Uruguayan forward has been influencing the game for many years: recruited by the English club in the late 90s, he famously ran straight through England defense to touch down at the 2003 global tournament. His influence as national coach has been equally significant: Chile have climbed to 17th, their highest-ever ranking. During the last World Cup in Europe, they were beaten four times, conceding 215 points and registering 27, including a heavy loss against the English team. However, they confidently found the positives, and after the 2027 draw in Australia on 3 December, the coach can begin planning in earnest. They faced the Scottish team previously, losing 52-11 in front of twenty-four thousand fans, and while they were defeated across both matches by Uruguay in the initial qualifying round, they achieved a narrow away victory in the Uruguayan capital. Samoa's Qualification Struggle The Samoan team, meanwhile, 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 Pacific Nations Cup, resulting in qualifying disappointment against Chile, and the requirement to face teams like Belgium adds further difficulty for the rugby-loving country. Competition Structural Updates Beyond specific teams' performances, it is important to consider how changed the larger competition will look in the next edition. For the first time, there will be a knockout stage with six groups of four instead of four groups of five. Pool-stage risk is much lower because the top four third-placed sides will additionally qualify. Host Nation and Standings Consequences The organizers, Australia, are now placed seventh in the world, which means they would miss out on a top seed and could face either South Africa, New Zealand, the Irish, the French, England, or the Pumas in their group. They may climb into the top six during a busy November, however: England, the Italian side, the Irish squad, and the French team are their fixtures, with a game against the Japanese team in the capital also scheduled for 25 October. Wales, on the other hand, are teetering in 12th, with the Japanese side behind, and the consequences of dropping to thirteenth and into the third seeding group are potentially significant. Americas Representation and Future Events Another fresh aspect for the next World Cup is the participation of five teams from the Americas: Argentina, the Uruguayan side, USA, the Canadian team, and the Chilean squad – with either Paraguay or Brazil potentially becoming the sixth. From World Rugby's viewpoint, engagement from the Americas is positive, particularly with the 2031 World Cup scheduled to be hosted by the USA, and the selection process for the 2035 tournament was initiated recently. Current Priority For now, though. The second installment of Brazil v Paraguay prepares a four-team qualifying contest, along with a potential standings change throughout Europe in the coming month. No matter the outcome, Chile's qualification for a second Rugby World Cup has already made them as a clear success story.