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As numerous fans in the UK concentrate on their clubs' early-season fortunes or discuss forthcoming autumn internationals, the contest for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification continues unabated.

Chile's Historic Accomplishment

Chile earned their second consecutive appearance at the competition with a stunning playoff victory against Samoa last month, leaving only one remaining spot up for grabs for the host nation by 2027. At the same time, Paraguay surprised Brazil 39-19 in the first leg of their playoff.

The return match takes place this Saturday in the Brazilian city, close to São Paulo, while Brazil's men's team attempts to follow the women's success and secure qualification for the first occasion.

Upcoming Qualifying Showdown

Whether Paraguay completes a shock overall victory, or Brazil recovers following manager Emiliano Caffera's departure, the lineup for November's qualifying event in Dubai will then be finalized. The Namibian team, Belgium, and the Samoan side have already secured spots for the Middle Eastern showdown from 8-18 November.

Worldwide Qualifying Updates

Several other teams have also secured their places. The Hong Kong China team sealed first-time qualification after beating Korea by a large margin in the summer, and the Zimbabwean squad will make a comeback to rugby union's premier tournament for the first time in over three decades by virtue of winning the African championship.

Chile's Growing Reputation

The knock-on effect of Chile's playoff success ensures that Los Condores will play against Italy for the first time next month during the fall test series, replacing Samoa who are obligated to compete in the Dubai tournament.

World Rugby's chief executive called Chile an "exciting and rapidly rising power" in announcing the upcoming match in the Italian city. As domestic rugby markets seek larger crowds, Chilean rugby is buoyant. A sell-out audience of over 20,000 saw the qualifying win in the coastal city, and head coach the national coach has led the squad on an upward trajectory since his appointment in recent years.

Coach's Impressive Career

The fifty-year-old former Uruguayan prop has been influencing the game for decades: recruited by Bristol in the late 90s, he famously broke through England defensive line to touch down at the 2003 global tournament.

His impact as head coach has been equally significant: Chile have climbed to 17th, their highest-ever position. During the last World Cup in Europe, they were defeated four times, allowing over two hundred points and scoring twenty-seven, including a heavy defeat against England.

Nevertheless, they proudly found the positives, and following the 2027 draw in Australia on December 3rd, the coach can start preparations in earnest. They hosted Scotland previously, defeated by a significant margin before 24,000 fans, and while they were beaten across both matches by Uruguay in the first qualifying round, they managed a 21-18 win on the road in the Uruguayan capital.

Samoa's Qualifying Challenge

Samoa, meanwhile, have not missed every World Cup for decades, but are presently languishing in sixteenth position in the men's rankings. They were without a victory in this year's regional tournament, leading to playoff misery against Chile, and the requirement to face nations such as Belgium brings additional challenge for the proud rugby nation.

Tournament Format Changes

Apart from individual nations' performances, it is important to consider how changed the expanded competition will look in 2027. For the first occasion, there will be a round of 16 with six pools of four teams instead of four groups of five teams. Pool-stage risk is significantly reduced because the top four third-placed teams will additionally advance.

Hosts and Rankings Consequences

The organizers, Australia, are currently ranked seventh in the world, which means they would miss out on a top seed and might face either the Springboks, New Zealand, Ireland, France, the English, or the Pumas in their group. They may climb into the top six during a busy November, though: England, the Italian side, the Irish squad, and the French team are their opponents, with a game against the Japanese team in Tokyo also scheduled for 25 October.

Wales, on the other hand, are teetering in twelfth place, with Japan below, and the consequences of dropping to 13th and into the third seeding group are possibly significant.

American Representation and Future Events

Another new dimension for the next World Cup is the participation of five teams from the American continent: the Argentine team, Uruguay, USA, the Canadian team, and the Chilean squad – with either Paraguay or Brazil possibly making it six. From World Rugby's viewpoint, American interest is beneficial, especially with the 2031 World Cup set to be staged by the USA, and the selection process for the 2035 edition was launched recently.

Current Focus

For now, though. The return match of Brazil v Paraguay sets up a four-way qualifying contest, along with a possible standings change across Europe in November. Regardless of the outcome, Chile's qualification for a second Rugby World Cup has undoubtedly established them as a resounding triumphant example.