With the road to Rugby World Cup 2027 gaining traction, World Rugby has changed the script. The sport’s global governing body has introduced the World Rugby Nations Cup. The twelve-team tournament will be the “B” version of the Nations Championship.
The World Rugby Nations Cup presently has eleven of the twelve competitors confirmed. The final team to be added will be either Belgium or Samoa. That is to say, the winner of the Rugby World Cup Qualifier between the teams in Dubai. That match and Brazil vs Namibia will both be played on Tuesday.
The to be confirmed team will join Canada, Chile, Georgia, Hong Kong, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Tonga, Uruguay, USA and Zimbabwe in the World Rugby Nations Cup. These eleven all qualified for Rugby World Cup 2027 in matches earlier this year.
Not all details have yet been confirmed regarding the format. Instead, World Rugby’s release announcing the tournament stated “More details on the Nations Cup pools, match schedule and locations will be unveiled in due course.”
The announcement confirmed that the two pools for the World Rugby Nations Cup will be (a) Africa, Asia and Europe and (b) Americas and the Pacific. In other words, Canada, Chile, Uruguay, and the USA will be in (b) together with Tonga and Samoa, if Samoa beat Belgium.
Each team will face the six opponents from the opposite pool. This means that Chile will not face Uruguay and Canada will not face the USA. In addition, the South American and North American teams will not face each-other.
Canada, Chile, Uruguay and the USA will thus each play three matches in July 2026 and November 2026 with the matches being against Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Hong Kong, and Zimbabwe.
The two pools will not contest a final in the initial tournaments in 2026 and 2028. As such the two pools will be ranked separately with champions crowned at the end of November based on competition points.
The location of the matches is yet to be confirmed; however, ARN understands that World Rugby Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, Tonga (and Samoa if qualified) will play in neutral venues.
ARN also understands that South America and North America will host matches in July and Europe will do so in November. Sudamérica Rugby has already made an offer to host matches in July with both Uruguay and Chile acting as hosts.
Pictured below, the home of Uruguayan Rugby, the Estadio Charrua looms as a probably World Rugby Nations Cup venue.
