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As many fans in the UK concentrate on club season-opening performances or discuss forthcoming fall test matches, the contest for World Cup 2027 qualification continues at full pace.

Chile's Historic Accomplishment

Chile earned their back-to-back spot at the competition with a stunning qualifying win over Samoa last month, leaving one place left to be claimed for the host nation 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 Jacareí, close to São Paulo, as Brazil's men's team attempts to emulate the women's achievement and qualify for the first time.

Upcoming Qualifying Showdown

Whether Paraguay manages a surprise aggregate victory, or Brazil recovers after head coach Emiliano Caffera's departure, the lineup for November's qualifying event in Dubai will then be finalized. Namibia, the Belgian squad, and the Samoan side have already secured spots for the Dubai-based showdown from 8-18 November.

Worldwide Qualification Updates

Several additional teams have likewise secured their places. The Hong Kong China team sealed maiden World Cup entry after beating Korea by a large margin in July, and Zimbabwe will make a comeback to the sport's premier tournament for the first occasion since 1991 after winning the Rugby Africa Cup.

Chile's Rising Profile

The knock-on effect of Chile's playoff success ensures that Los Condores will face Italy for the first time in November during the autumn internationals, taking the place of Samoa who are obligated to participate in the Dubai tournament.

World Rugby's CEO described Chile an "exciting and fast-emerging power" in announcing the upcoming fixture in the Italian city. While local rugby markets seek increased attendance, rugby in Chile is buoyant. A sell-out audience of more than twenty thousand saw the qualifying win in the coastal city, and head coach Pablo Lemoine has led the team on an improving path since his appointment in 2018.

Coach's Impressive Career

The 50-year-old former Uruguayan prop has been influencing the game for many years: signed by Bristol in the late 90s, he famously broke through England defensive line to score at the 2003 global tournament.

His influence as national coach has been similarly powerful: Chile have risen to 17th, their best position. During the last World Cup in France, they were defeated four times, allowing 215 points and registering twenty-seven, featuring a 71-0 defeat against England.

However, they confidently took the positives, and after the tournament draw in Sydney on 3 December, Lemoine can begin planning in earnest. They faced the Scottish team last year, losing by a significant margin in front of twenty-four thousand fans, and while they were defeated over both matches by the Uruguayan side in the first qualifying round, they managed a narrow win on the road in Montevideo.

The Samoan Qualification Struggle

The Samoan team, meanwhile, have not missed all World Cup since 1991, but are presently sitting in sixteenth position in the global rankings. They were without a victory in the recent regional tournament, leading to playoff misery versus Chile, and the requirement to face nations such as Belgium brings additional challenge for the proud rugby nation.

Tournament Format Changes

Beyond specific teams' fortunes, it is important to consider how different the larger competition will look in 2027. For the first time, there will be a knockout stage with six groups of four teams rather than four pools of five. Group phase risk is much lower because the top four third-place teams will additionally qualify.

Host Nation and Rankings Implications

The hosts, the Australian team, are now placed seventh in the world, which means they would miss out on top seeding and could meet either South Africa, New Zealand, the Irish, the French, the English, or the Pumas in Pool A. They may climb into the top six during a busy November, however: the English team, the Italian side, Ireland, and the French team are their fixtures, with a game versus the Japanese team in Tokyo additionally scheduled for 25 October.

The Welsh team, meanwhile, are teetering in 12th, with the Japanese side below, and the implications of falling to 13th and into the third seeding group are possibly significant.

Americas Presence and Future Tournaments

An additional fresh aspect for 2027 is the presence of five nations from the Americas: the Argentine team, the Uruguayan side, the United States, the Canadian team, and Chile – with either Paraguay or Brazil potentially making it six. From World Rugby's viewpoint, engagement from the Americas is beneficial, especially with the 2031 tournament set to be staged by the USA, and the selection process for the 2035 tournament was initiated recently.

Current Focus

For now, however. The return match of Brazil v Paraguay sets up a four-team Dubai shootout, combined with a possible standings change across Europe in November. No matter how things pan out, Chile's qualification for a second Rugby World Cup has already made them as a resounding triumphant example.