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While numerous fans in the UK focus on their clubs' early-season performances or debate forthcoming autumn internationals, the contest for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualifying rages on unabated.

Chile's Historic Achievement

Chile earned their back-to-back spot at the tournament with a stunning qualifying win against Samoa last month, leaving a single remaining spot up for grabs for the host nation in two years. Meanwhile, Paraguay surprised Brazil by twenty points in the first leg of their playoff.

The second leg is scheduled on Saturday in the Brazilian city, near São Paulo, as Brazil's squad aims to follow the women's success and qualify for the first occasion.

Upcoming Qualification Clash

Whether Paraguay completes a shock overall win, or Brazil bounces back after head coach Emiliano Caffera's recent dismissal, the lineup for November's qualifying event in Dubai will be confirmed. Namibia, Belgium, and Samoa have already secured their places for the Middle Eastern showdown from 8-18 November.

Worldwide Qualification Updates

Several other teams have also secured their spots. The Hong Kong China team sealed first-time World Cup entry after defeating Korea by a large margin in the summer, while the Zimbabwean squad will return to the sport's premier tournament for the first time since 1991 after claiming victory in the African championship.

Chile's Growing Reputation

The knock-on effect of Chile's qualifying triumph 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 compete in the Dubai tournament.

The global governing body's CEO described Chile an "exciting and rapidly rising force" in announcing the upcoming fixture in the Italian city. As local rugby promotional efforts aim for larger crowds, Chilean rugby is thriving. A capacity crowd of over 20,000 witnessed the playoff victory in Viña del Mar, and manager the national coach has guided the team on an upward trajectory since his appointment in 2018.

Coach's Impressive Legacy

The 50-year-old former Uruguay international forward has been influencing the game for many years: recruited by the English club in the late 90s, he memorably ran straight through the English defensive line to touch down at the 2003 global tournament.

His influence as national coach has been similarly powerful: Chile have risen to seventeenth place, their best position. At the last World Cup in Europe, they were beaten four times, allowing over two hundred points and scoring 27, featuring a heavy loss to England.

Nevertheless, they proudly took the positive aspects, and after the 2027 draw in Australia on 3 December, Lemoine can begin planning seriously. They hosted the Scottish team last year, losing 52-11 before 24,000 fans, and while they were defeated over two legs by the Uruguayan side in the first qualifying round, they managed a 21-18 away victory in the Uruguayan capital.

Samoa's Qualifying Challenge

Samoa, meanwhile, have not missed every World Cup for decades, but are presently sitting in 16th place in the men's rankings. They were without a victory in this year's regional tournament, resulting in playoff misery against Chile, and the requirement to face nations such as Belgium brings additional challenge for the rugby-loving country.

Tournament Format Changes

Beyond specific teams' performances, it is important to consider how different the larger tournament will appear in the next edition. For the first occasion, there will be a round of 16 with six groups of four instead of four pools of five teams. Group phase risk is much lower because the top four third-placed teams will additionally advance.

Hosts and Rankings Implications

The hosts, Australia, are currently ranked seventh in the world, meaning they would fall short on top seeding and could meet one of the Springboks, the All Blacks, the Irish, France, the English, or Argentina in Pool A. They could climb into the top six during a packed autumn schedule, though: England, Italy, Ireland, and the French team are their fixtures, with a game versus Japan in the capital also planned for 25 October.

The Welsh team, meanwhile, are balanced in 12th, with the Japanese side behind, and the implications of dropping to 13th and into pot three are possibly significant.

Americas Presence and Future Events

Another new dimension for the next World Cup is the presence of five nations from the Americas: the Argentine team, the Uruguayan side, the United States, Canada, and the Chilean squad – with Paraguay or Brazil possibly becoming the sixth. From the governing body's viewpoint, engagement from the Americas is positive, particularly with the 2031 tournament scheduled to be staged by the United States, and the selection process for the 2035 edition was launched recently.

Immediate Focus

For now, however. The return match of Brazil versus Paraguay sets up a four-team qualifying contest, along with a possible rankings shake-up across Europe in the coming month. No matter how things pan out, Chile's successful qualification for a second Rugby World Cup has already established them as a resounding success story.