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While many fans in the UK focus on their clubs' early-season performances or discuss forthcoming fall test matches, the contest for World Cup 2027 qualifying rages on at full pace.

Chile's Remarkable Achievement

Chile earned their second consecutive spot at the tournament with a stunning playoff victory against Samoa last month, leaving only a single remaining spot up for grabs for the host nation by 2027. Meanwhile, Paraguay surprised Brazil 39-19 in the opening match of their playoff.

The return match is scheduled this Saturday in the Brazilian city, near São Paulo, while Brazil's men's team attempts to emulate their women's achievement and secure qualification for the first occasion.

Upcoming Qualification Showdown

Regardless of Paraguay completes a shock overall victory, or Brazil recovers following head coach Emiliano Caffera's recent dismissal, the lineup for next month's Dubai qualification tournament will then be finalized. Namibia, the Belgian squad, and Samoa have already secured their places for the Middle Eastern showdown from 8-18 November.

Worldwide Qualifying Developments

Several other nations have likewise secured their places. The Hong Kong China team sealed first-time World Cup entry after beating Korea by a large margin in the summer, while Zimbabwe will return to the sport's most prestigious stage for the first occasion since 1991 after claiming victory in the African championship.

Chile's Rising Profile

The consequence of Chile's playoff success means that Los Condores will play against Italy for the first time next month during the fall test series, replacing Samoa who must compete in Dubai.

The global governing body's CEO called Chile an "thrilling and fast-emerging power" in announcing the forthcoming match in the Italian city. As local the sport promotional efforts aim for larger crowds, rugby in Chile is buoyant. A capacity crowd of over 20,000 witnessed the qualifying win in Viña del Mar, and manager Pablo Lemoine has guided the squad on an upward trajectory since his appointment in 2018.

Manager's Notable Legacy

The 50-year-old former Uruguayan forward has been making an impact for many years: signed by the English club in the 1990s, he famously broke through the English defensive line to touch down at the 2003 global tournament.

His impact as national coach has been similarly significant: Chile have climbed to seventeenth place, their best ranking. At the previous tournament in France, they were defeated in all matches, allowing over two hundred points and registering 27, featuring a heavy loss to England.

However, they confidently found the positive aspects, and after the tournament draw in Sydney on December 3rd, the coach can start preparations seriously. They faced Scotland last year, losing by a significant margin in front of twenty-four thousand supporters, and although they were beaten over both matches by the Uruguayan side in the first qualifying round, they managed a 21-18 away victory in the Uruguayan capital.

Samoa's Qualification Struggle

Samoa, meanwhile, have participated in every Rugby World Cup since 1991, but are currently sitting in sixteenth position in the global rankings. They were winless in the recent regional tournament, resulting in qualifying disappointment versus Chile, and the requirement to face teams like Belgium brings further challenge for the rugby-loving country.

Tournament Format Changes

Beyond specific teams' performances, it is worth noting 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 pools of five. Pool-stage risk is significantly reduced because the top four third-place sides will also advance.

Host Nation and Rankings Implications

The organizers, the Australian team, are now placed seventh in the global rankings, meaning they would fall short on a top seed and might face either South Africa, the All Blacks, Ireland, France, England, or Argentina in their group. They could climb into the top six during a busy November, though: the English team, Italy, the Irish squad, and France are their fixtures, with a match versus Japan in Tokyo additionally scheduled for October 25th.

The Welsh team, meanwhile, are balanced in 12th, with Japan behind, and the consequences of falling to thirteenth and into the third seeding group are potentially severe.

American 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, Uruguay, the United States, the Canadian team, and the Chilean squad – with either Paraguay or Brazil possibly becoming the sixth. From World Rugby's perspective, American interest is positive, particularly with the 2031 World Cup scheduled to be staged by the USA, and the host selection for the 2035 tournament was launched last month.

Current Focus

First things first, though. The return match of Brazil versus Paraguay prepares a four-way Dubai shootout, along with a potential rankings shake-up across Europe in November. Regardless of the outcome, Chile's qualification for a second consecutive World Cup has undoubtedly established them as a clear success story.