mens
rugby-europe-championship
Four teams stand just one win away from securing direct qualification for Rugby World Cup 2027, with the semi-finalists of this year’s Rugby Europe Championship guaranteed passage to Australia.
After opening-round victories Georgia, Romania, Spain, and Portugal are on the cusp of booking their tickets to the knockout stage—and the global showpiece.
Georgia continued their near-eight-year unbeaten run in the competition with a colossal 110-0 triumph over newcomers Switzerland, setting a national team record. Now the Lelos aim to cement a top-two finish in Pool A by defeating the Netherlands in Tbilisi on Saturday. An eighth consecutive victory against the Dutch could see them sail into the semi-finals.
Also in Pool A, Spain remain determined to end a World Cup drought stretching back to 1999. Los Leones opened with an emphatic 53-24 win over the Netherlands and will head to Switzerland this weekend as firm favourites to secure another bonus-point triumph.
Los Leones qualified for both the 2019 and 2023 tournaments, only to later be disqualified due to player eligibility issues.
Meanwhile, Romania and Portugal both claimed bonus-point successes in round one to top Pool B. The Oaks overcame a determined German side 48-10 after leading only 13-10 at halftime, while Portugal fended off a spirited Belgium outfit 40-30 in a high-scoring affair.
Romania now travel to face a dangerous Belgium team that shocked Portugal 10-6 in Mons last year, reminding everyone that anything can happen on the road to Australia.
For Portugal, sealing back-to-back World Cup appearances is within touching distance if they can topple Germany on Sunday in Lisbon. However, if underdogs cause any further upsets in either pool, the path to qualification could become far more convoluted. With first playing third and second facing fourth across both groups, all eight teams could theoretically finish the weekend level on five points. Any ties will be decided by head-to-head results.
Crucially, the four teams that miss out on the semi-finals won’t see their World Cup dreams extinguished. The side finishing fifth overall secures a place in the Final Qualification Tournament, joining three other regional contenders for one last shot at making Rugby World Cup 2027.
