Namibia’s dream of qualifying for the Rugby World Cup 2027 suffered an early setback. After a narrow 22–15 loss to Belgium in their opening match of the Final Qualification Tournament in Dubai. The defeat leaves Namibia with a tough path ahead as it looks to claim the final available World Cup spot.
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Belgium controlled most of the contest, dominating both possession and territory. Their solid defensive work and relentless pressure disrupted Namibia’s rhythm and forced several turnovers. The Europeans built a commanding 17–0 lead through powerful forward play and sharp attacking phases.
Namibia struggled to respond early on, unable to maintain momentum or finish scoring chances. In the closing stages, however, Namibia showed signs of life. Captain Johan Deysel. And forward Johan Luttig each crossed the try line to narrow the deficit and secure a valuable losing bonus point. Despite the late rally, the early damage had been done.
And Belgium’s discipline and organization carried them to a deserved victory. After the match, Namibia coach Pieter Rossouw admitted his side had made life difficult for themselves. We beat ourselves today, he said, pointing to a string of unforced errors and missed scoring opportunities. We’ll take the lessons from this and come back stronger.
Rugby World Cup 2027: Wallabies’ Ranking Hopes Take a Hit Before Draw
The players showed great fight at the end, and that’s something to build on. Namibia’s next match against Samoa has now become a must-win if they want to stay in contention for qualification. Samoa emphatically began their own campaign, overwhelming Brazil 48–10 earlier in the day.
The Pacific Islanders ran in seven tries, displaying the power and flair that make them the favorites to top the qualification group. Belgium will next face Brazil, while Namibia’s upcoming showdown with Samoa already looks like a decisive moment in their bid for a place at the Rugby World Cup 2027.
In other rugby news, the world champions South Africa have extended their lead at the top of the World Rugby rankings following their 32–17 win over France. The result widened their gap over second-placed New Zealand to 1.71 rating points. Reinforcing the Springboks’ position as the top-ranked team in the world heading toward the Rugby World Cup draw.
The rankings are especially important this month. The top six nations after the November internationals will make up Band 1 for the World Cup pool draw. The 2027 tournament will feature six pools for the first time, so the draw seeding could heavily influence each team’s path. Australia, however, finds itself in a difficult position after another disappointing weekend.
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Rugby World Cup Final: Wallabies Slip Further in Rankings After Costly Defeat
A 26–19 defeat, combined with Argentina’s stunning 52–28 win over Wales, pushed the Wallabies further down the standings. The result leaves them 2.61 rating points behind Los Pumas, having started the weekend less than a point adrift.
To climb back into the top six, Australia faces a huge challenge this weekend. They must beat Ireland by more than 15 points and hope that Scotland overcomes Argentina. Otherwise, their hopes of being a top-seeded nation for the 2027 draw could fade away.
Italy also enjoyed a morale-boosting result, earning a rare win over Australia—their second ever. The 1.21 rating-point boost, however, was not enough to move them past Fiji in ninth place. Fiji, despite losing narrowly to England, only dropped 0.02 points and remains ahead of the Azzurri.
England, currently ranked fourth, will have a chance to move up to third if it defeats New Zealand this weekend. A win of any kind would lift them above Ireland, regardless of what happens in Dublin. Damian McKenzie’s late brilliance helped the All Blacks edge past Scotland, earning a small ranking gain of 0.36 points.
Scotland, though beaten, closed the gap slightly on eighth-placed Australia and could climb higher with a win over Argentina. Elsewhere, Uruguay enjoyed a big weekend, rising four places to 15th after defeating Portugal 26–8.
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