🔗 Share this article South American Rugby Success Stories Drive Men's World Cup Qualifying Campaign As numerous supporters in the UK focus on club season-opening performances or debate upcoming fall test matches, the battle for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualifying rages on unabated. Chile's Remarkable Accomplishment Chile secured their second consecutive spot at the competition with a sensational playoff victory against Samoa recently, leaving one remaining spot up for grabs for Australia in two years. At the same time, Paraguay surprised Brazil 39-19 in the first leg of their playoff. The second leg is scheduled on Saturday in the Brazilian city, close to São Paulo, as Brazil's men's team aims to follow their women's success and qualify for the first occasion. Upcoming Qualification Clash Regardless of Paraguay manages a surprise aggregate victory, or Brazil recovers following manager Emiliano Caffera's recent dismissal, the participants for November's qualifying event in Dubai will be confirmed. The Namibian team, the Belgian squad, and Samoa have already secured their places for the Middle Eastern showdown from 8-18 November. Worldwide Qualification Updates Several additional nations have also earned their spots. The Hong Kong China team achieved maiden World Cup entry following beating Korea by a large margin in July, and the Zimbabwean squad will make a comeback 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 ensures that Los Condores will face Italy for the first occasion next month during the autumn internationals, taking the place of Samoa who are obligated to compete in Dubai. The global governing body's chief executive described Chile an "exciting and fast-emerging power" in announcing the upcoming match in the Italian city. As local rugby markets aim for larger crowds, Chilean rugby is buoyant. A sell-out audience of more than twenty thousand saw the playoff victory in the coastal city, and manager Pablo Lemoine has led the squad on an upward trajectory since taking over in 2018. Coach's Impressive Career The 50-year-old ex- Uruguayan forward has been influencing the game for many years: signed by the English club in the 1990s, he famously ran straight through England defensive line to touch down at the 2003 global tournament. His influence as national coach has been equally significant: Chile have risen to seventeenth place, their best position. During the previous tournament in France, they were beaten four times, allowing over two hundred points and registering twenty-seven, including a 71-0 loss to England. However, they proudly took the positive aspects, and following the tournament draw in Australia on 3 December, the coach can start preparations seriously. They hosted 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 initial qualifying round, they achieved a narrow win on the road in Montevideo. The Samoan Qualifying Struggle Samoa, in contrast, have not missed all World Cup for decades, but are currently sitting in 16th place in the global rankings. They were without a victory in this year's Pacific Nations Cup, leading to qualifying disappointment versus Chile, and the need to meet nations such as Belgium brings further difficulty for the proud rugby nation. Tournament Format Changes Apart from specific teams' performances, it is important to consider how changed the expanded tournament will look in 2027. For the first occasion, there will be a knockout stage with six groups of four rather than four groups of five teams. Pool-stage jeopardy is much lower because the four best third-place sides will additionally advance. Hosts and Rankings Implications The hosts, the Australian team, are currently ranked seventh in the global rankings, meaning they would fall short on a top seed and could face either the Springboks, the All Blacks, Ireland, the French, the English, or Argentina in Pool A. They may climb into the top six during a packed autumn schedule, though: the English team, Italy, Ireland, and the French team are their opponents, with a match against Japan in the capital additionally scheduled for October 25th. Wales, on the other hand, are balanced in 12th, with Japan below, and the implications of dropping to thirteenth and into the third seeding group are possibly significant. Americas Presence and Future Events Another fresh aspect for the next World Cup is the presence of five teams from the Americas: Argentina, the Uruguayan side, USA, Canada, and Chile – with Paraguay or Brazil potentially making it six. From the governing body's viewpoint, engagement from the Americas is beneficial, especially with the 2031 tournament set to be hosted by the USA, and the host selection for the 2035 tournament was initiated last month. Current Priority For now, however. The second installment of Brazil versus Paraguay prepares a four-way Dubai shootout, combined with a possible rankings shake-up throughout Europe in November. No matter the outcome, Chile's successful qualification for a second consecutive World Cup has undoubtedly established them as a clear triumphant example.