Uruguay take-on Paraguay in a Rugby World Cup 2027 qualifier in Montevideo on Saturday. The showdown is the second Semi Final between the teams to determine who advances to the South American Final against Chile. Uruguay are very well placed, having won game one 38-0 in Asunción.
FORM GUIDE  |
Current World Ranking: 17 (67.52 points)
2025-07-26 – Paraguay 0-38 Uruguay (Asunción, PY)
2025-07-19 – Argentina 52-17 Uruguay (Salta, AR)
2025-07-12 – Uruguay 70-8 Romania (Montevideo, UY)
Current World Ranking: 38 (48.35 points)
2025-07-26 – Paraguay 0-38 Uruguay (Asunción, PY)
2025-07-19 – Salta 43-31 Paraguay (Salta, AR)
| AUSTRALIA 2027 – SOUTH AMERICAN RWC QUALIFYING |
Uruguay and Paraguay started their Rugby World Cup 2027 qualifying campaigns at different times. Uruguay’s regular participation in Rugby World Cups, results and ranking saw Los Teros starting this year. In contrast, Paraguay, who have never qualified for a Rugby World Cup, competed in South American qualifiers in 2024.
Paraguay secured a spot in the final round of the South American qualifiers for Rugby World Cup 2027. Los Yacarés did so with a record win over Colombia in October. The 49-18 victory saw Paraguay securing the final spot in the Sudamericano 2025 alongside Brazil, Chile and Uruguay.
The result saw Colombia eliminated. Los Tucanes booked their spot against Paraguay by being crowned champions of the third tier of South America. It involved a Four Nations competition, which also featured countries from Central America, with Colombia being joined joined Costa Rica, Peru and Venezuela.
Colombia won the tournament with comfortable wins over Costa Rica and Venezuela. Los Tucanes’ 50-05 win over Venezuela meant Colombia advanced to face Paraguay with Costa Rica, Peru and Venezuela all eliminated.
Paraguay’s pathway to facing Colombia began in the Southern Cone against Chile and Brazil. Los Cóndores and Os Tupis both won Rugby World Cup Qualifiers against Paraguay to book their spots alongside Uruguay in the South American Semi Finals. Paraguay claimed the remaining spot with the aforementioned win over Colombia.
The Sudamericano 2025 champion will qualify for Rugby World Cup 2027 as South America 1. That team will join Argentina as the second South American competitor confirmed in the Australia hosted tournament.
The runner-up of the Sudamericano 2025 will face the bottom team from the 2025 Pacific Nations Cup in a winner goes to the Rugby World Cup clash. The third placed team from the Sudamericano 2025 will advance to the Final Place Play-Off tournament to determine the 24th competitor at the World Cup.
- Chile awaits the winner (on aggregate) in the South American Final. Los Cóndores will host Game 1 in at the Estadio de La Pintana on August 30.
- Felipe Aliaga captains Uruguay for the first time.
- RWC 2019 and 2023 captain Andrés Vilaseca starts at inside center.
- Baltazar Amaya is back home from on international duty for the first time since joining Béziers. Santiago Arata is expected to join the team, provided they advance, to face Chile.
- Uruguay’s line-up is strong but comes with rested players such as hooker Germán Kessler, second-row Manuel Leindekar, N8 Manuel Diana, and fly half Felipe Etcheverry and wingers Bautista Basso and Ignacio Facciolo.
- Mateo Sanguinetti will earn his 94th cap. He is on track to be the second Uruguayan Centurion.
- Manuel Rosmarino will make his test debut for Los Teros as a replacement.
- Uruguay’s front-row is a trio of players who have played in Major League Rugby during their careers.
- Juan Martín Sebriano debuts for Paraguay, starting at flanker. He is from Argentina.
- Replacement Patricio Cabrera is also on debut for Paraguay.
- International competition between Paraguay and Uruguay began in 1971.
- Uruguay is unbeaten against Paraguay.
- Uruguay have scored 1317 points in matches against Paraguay while Paraguay have scored 235.
- The match will be refereed by Damien Schneider. The Argentine is pressing to be the Americas’ first referee at a Men’s Rugby World Cup in more than two decades.
| RWC QUALIFIER vs TEAMS |
URUGUAY
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Facundo Gattas, 3 Reinaldo Piussi, 4 Felipe Aliaga, 5 Ignacio Dotti, 6 Santiago Civetta, 7 Lucas Bianchi, 8 Carlos Deus, 9 Santiago Álvarez, 10 Ícaro Amarillo, 11 Ignacio Álvarez Akiki, 12 Andrés Vilaseca, 13 Felipe Arcos Pérez, 14 Baltazar Amaya, 15 Juan González
Replacements: 16 Guillermo Pujadas, 17 Francisco Suárez, 18 Ignacio Péculo, 19 Manuel Rosmarino, 20 Manuel Ardao, 21 Juan Manuel Taffernaberry, 22 Joaquín Suárez, 23 Juan Manuel Alonso
PARAGUAY
1 Daniel Cabral, 2 Agustín Benítez, 3 Enrique Quinteros, 4 Juan José Heisecke, 5 Mariano Garcete (capt.), 6 Juan Martín Sebriano, 7 Ariel Núñez, 8 Francisco Bareiro, 9 Gonzalo Bareiro, 10 Joaquín Mussi, 11 Juan González, 12 Sebastian Urbieta, 13 Ramiro Amarilla, 14 Facundo Paiva, 15 Arturo López
Replacements: 16 Lucas Otaño, 17 Cesar Pérez, 18 Estefano Aranda, 19 Camilo Blasco, 20 Adrian Léon, 21 Diego Miño, 22 Rafael Bareiro, 23 Patricio Cabrera
Los Teros are on track to qualify for a sixth Rugby World Cup. The Uruguayans were far below their peak against Paraguay in Asunción; however, were able to win the match comfortably without conceding a point. 2025 saw Peñarol claiming a third Super Rugby Americas title in four years and Uruguay defeated Romania by a record score in July. Paraguay’s limited player pool at Yacare has seen limited improvement to close the gap between Paraguay and Southern Cone opposition. Uruguay are favorites to win in Montevideo.
Venue: Estadio Charrua, Montevideo, UY
Date: Saturday, August 23
Kick-Off: 3:30pm (UY); 3:30pm (PY)
Weather: Sunny. 12°C; Wind 19 km/h
Broadcast: Disney +
Referee: Damian Schneider (AR)
Assistant Referees: Tomás Ninci (AR); Federico Solari (AR)
TMO: Ignacio Calle (AR)
| vs COMPLETE RESULTS (1971-2025) |
1971 – Uruguay 56-3 Paraguay
1973 – Uruguay 31-9 Paraguay
1975 – Paraguay 18-38 Uruguay
1977 – Uruguay 16-7 Paraguay
1979 – Paraguay 9-53 Uruguay
1981 – Uruguay 54-14 Paraguay
1983 – Paraguay 12-20 Uruguay
1985 – Paraguay 9-9 Uruguay
1987 – Paraguay 12-20 Uruguay
1989 – Uruguay 32-7 Paraguay
1991 – Uruguay 29-13 Paraguay
1993 – Paraguay 3-67 Uruguay
1995 – Paraguay 12-48 Uruguay
1997- Paraguay 9-67 Uruguay
1998- Uruguay 93-3 Paraguay
2001- Uruguay 62-8 Paraguay
2002- Uruguay 81-6 Paraguay
2003 – Uruguay 53-7 Paraguay
2009- Uruguay 85-7 Paraguay
2010- Paraguay 14-47 Uruguay
2011 – Uruguay 102-6 Paraguay
2014 – Paraguay 10-34 Uruguay
2015 – Uruguay 77-3 Paraguay
2016 – Paraguay 15-60 Uruguay
2017 – Paraguay 19-45 Uruguay
2025 – Paraguay 0-38 Uruguay
| vs RESULTS |
26 WINS 0 WINS
1 Draw
