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While many fans in the UK concentrate on their clubs' season-opening fortunes or discuss forthcoming fall test matches, the contest for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualifying continues unabated.

Chile's Historic Achievement

Chile secured their back-to-back spot at the tournament with a sensational qualifying win over Samoa last month, leaving only one remaining spot up for grabs for the host nation in two years. Meanwhile, the Paraguayan side surprised Brazil 39-19 in the first leg of their playoff.

The return match is scheduled this Saturday in the Brazilian city, near São Paulo, as Brazil's squad aims to emulate their women's achievement and qualify for the first time.

Upcoming Qualifying Showdown

Whether Paraguay manages a shock overall win, or Brazil bounces back after head coach Emiliano Caffera's recent dismissal, the lineup for next month's Dubai qualification tournament will be confirmed. The Namibian team, the Belgian squad, and Samoa have already secured their places for the Middle Eastern competition from 8-18 November.

Global Qualification Developments

Several additional teams have likewise earned their spots. The Hong Kong China team sealed maiden qualification following defeating Korea by a large margin in the summer, while the Zimbabwean squad will return to rugby union's most prestigious stage for the first time in over three decades after winning the Rugby Africa Cup.

Chile's Growing Reputation

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

World Rugby's chief executive described Chile an "thrilling and rapidly rising power" in confirming the upcoming match in Genoa. As local the sport markets seek increased attendance, Chilean rugby is thriving. A capacity crowd of more than twenty thousand saw the qualifying win in the coastal city, and manager the national coach has led the squad on an upward trajectory since taking over in 2018.

Coach's Notable Career

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

His impact as head coach has been equally significant: Chile have climbed to 17th, their best ranking. At the last tournament in France, they were beaten in all matches, conceding over two hundred points and scoring twenty-seven, including a heavy defeat to the English team.

Nevertheless, they confidently took the positive aspects, and after the 2027 draw in Australia on 3 December, the coach can start preparations in earnest. They faced Scotland previously, defeated 52-11 before twenty-four thousand supporters, and although they were beaten over two legs by Uruguay in the first 2027 playoff, they achieved a narrow win on the road in Montevideo.

Samoa's Qualifying Challenge

Samoa, in contrast, have participated in all Rugby World Cup for decades, but are currently languishing in 16th place in the global rankings. They were without a victory in this year's regional tournament, resulting in qualifying disappointment against Chile, and the requirement to face nations such as Belgium adds additional difficulty for the proud rugby nation.

Tournament Format Changes

Beyond individual nations' performances, it is worth noting how different the larger tournament will look in the next edition. For the first time, there will be a knockout stage with six pools of four teams rather than four groups of five. Group phase risk is significantly reduced because the four best third-place teams will also qualify.

Hosts and Standings Consequences

The organizers, Australia, are currently ranked seventh in the global rankings, meaning they would fall short on top seeding and might meet one of the Springboks, the All Blacks, the Irish, France, the English, or Argentina in their group. They may climb into the highest seeds during a packed autumn schedule, however: England, the Italian side, the Irish squad, and the French team are their fixtures, with a match versus Japan in Tokyo also planned for October 25th.

The Welsh team, on the other hand, are balanced in twelfth place, with Japan behind, and the implications of falling to 13th and into pot three are possibly significant.

Americas Representation and Future Tournaments

An additional fresh aspect for the next World Cup is the presence of five teams from the American continent: the Argentine team, the Uruguayan side, the United States, Canada, and the Chilean squad – with either Paraguay or Brazil possibly becoming the sixth. From World Rugby's perspective, engagement from the Americas is positive, particularly with the 2031 World Cup scheduled to be staged by the USA, and the selection process for the 2035 tournament was launched recently.

Current Priority

First things first, however. The second installment of Brazil v Paraguay sets up a four-team qualifying contest, along with a potential rankings shake-up throughout Europe in November. No matter the outcome, Chile's qualification for a second consecutive World Cup has undoubtedly established them as a resounding success story.