The result ensured Samoa topped the standings in the Final Requirement Tournament for. The Rugby World Cup 2027 event in Australia with 12 points – just one above the Belgians. Both sides had compressed Namibia and Brazil in the four-team contest in Dubai. But Samoa made a bonus point lengthways the way, since the draw was sufficient for them to develop the 24th and final state to reach the 2027 centrepiece.
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Belgium led 6-3 with 17 points residual thanks to two consequence kicks from the gumboot of Matias Remue at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai. When Abraham Papali’i emerged off the bench to notch a 63rd-minute try for Samoa. And Jacob Umaga transformed and then added a consequence, it seemed the World Cup customers had finally taken a switch.
Nonetheless, with seven notes remaining, Jean-Maurice Decubber searched over from close range after a classy break by Toulouse actor Remue. And when Remue positioned the conversion to level the notches, Belgium’s Black Devils remained just a score away from an earliest Rugby World Cup 2027 arrival. However, it was not to be as Samoa controlled ownership and land in the last few notes.
Earlier, Papali’i kicked the ball into space to secure their home in Australia. Samoa head Theo McFarland recognised it wasn’t pretty but was satisfied his side got the job done to succeed for their 10th World Cup. We spoke all week about charitable Belgium admiration and credit to them, they wedged it in and gave it to us.
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Tuilagi Opens Door to Samoa Shift for 2027 Rugby World Cup
Samoa’s hard-fought draw was enough to secure their ticket to the World Cup. A result the Saracens forward welcomed with relief. He said the squad had spent the week focused on trusting the process and supporting one another throughout. Belgium captain Decubber admitted the frustration within his side, saying they were disappointed to fall just short.
But promised the team would return stronger in their pursuit of qualification for the 2031 tournament. Meanwhile, Manu Tuilagi has left open the possibility of switching international allegiance from England to Samoa ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2027. Tuilagi, whose most recent appearance for England came in the final round of the 2024.
Six Nations is currently ineligible for selection by head coach Steve Borthwick after his move from Sale to Bayonne in the Top 14. Across a stop-start career from 2011 to 2024, the centre collected 60 caps for England while dealing with long stretches disrupted by injury. Born in Samoa and raised in the UK from the age of 13, the 34-year-old could represent his birth nation at the Rugby World Cup 2027.
Tournament once he completes World Rugby’s required three-year stand-down period. Though once one of the sport’s most destructive midfielders, Tuilagi remains unsure whether his body will cope with another World Cup campaign. He acknowledged that interest alone is not enough, stressing that any return must be based on readiness, competitiveness, and physical ability to contribute at the level.
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Tuilagi Nearing Samoa Eligibility for 2027 Rugby World Cup Final
Outside of his days at Leicester, Tuilagi often struggled to put together a consistent run of appearances, but his time at Bayonne has marked a rare period of stability. This season, Rugby World Cup Final, he has remained largely injury-free, featuring in seven of the first ten Top 14 matches. In the previous campaign, he started twelve consecutive games as Bayonne progressed to the Top 14 semi-finals in 2024–25.
Tuilagi’s last outing for England came on March 16, 2024, and he will become eligible for Samoa on the same date in 2027, with the World Cup in Australia scheduled later that year. Samoa only secured qualification by the narrowest of margins, the Rugby World Cup Final, drawing with Belgium and advancing on points difference, and they may even find themselves in the same pool as England.
For Tuilagi, any potential switch hinges entirely on his physical condition. He will be 36 when the tournament begins, and he remains unsure whether his body can meet the demands. He acknowledged the excitement surrounding Samoa’s qualification.
But insisted the decision is far from straightforward. He said it is one thing to feel interested and another to be capable of genuine competition. With a World Cup far more demanding than club rugby, he emphasised that any return must be about performing, not merely participating. He knows the decision will require honesty, discipline, and complete commitment.
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