Category Archives: World Rugby

World Rugby Nations Cup – November 2025 Update

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World Rugby Releases Some Details of Tier 2 Nations Cup – Crossover Matches with Tier 1 Nations Championship in 2027

Canada will be part of the 2026 Nations Cup starting in July 2026. The Nations Cup is the Tier 2 equivalent of the Tier 1 Nations Championship. This new structure sets the test matches for the July and November windows except in World Cup or Lions Tour years. In those years there will be some crossover between the Tier 1 and Tier 2 brackets. The Tier 1 Nations Championship will include the Six Nations countries, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales; plus SANZAAR countries Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa; plus Japan and Fiji. The Tier 2 Nations Cup will include Canada, Chile, Georgia, Hong Kong China, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Tonga, Uruguay, USA, Zimbabwe, Samoa.

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World Cup 2027 Repechage Tournament

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World Cup 2027 Repechage Tournament Schedule Announced: Samoa, Paraguay, Namibia, Belgium

It’s a relief from a Canadian perspective to announce the repechage tournament knowing Canada has already qualified for the 2027 World Cup. Canada didn’t even make the repechage tournament for the 2023 World Cup, and they had to win the repechage to make the 2019 World Cup. In that 2019 repechage tournament Canada defeated Germany, Hong Kong and Kenya to advance to the World Cup. This year Canada defeated USA to claim direct entry to the World Cup.

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World Rugby Updates – October 2025

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World Rugby Releases Details of RWC 2027 – Format, Draw Date, Ticket Sales

Now that Canada are back in the men’s World Cup there’s more interest in the details. This will be the first World Cup to have 24 teams, 6 pools of 4 teams and a knockout round of 16. The top 2 teams from each pool will advance to the round of 16 plus the 4 best 3rd place finishers. That means that some teams with only 1 win in the pool round may advance to the round of 16. The countries are placed in 4 bands depending on their ranking at draw time, Band 1 will be rankings 1 to 6, Band 2 are ranked 7 to 12, Band 3 are ranked 13 to 18 and Band 4 are ranked 19 to 24. Canada are ranked 24th and will be in Band 4.

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World Rugby U20 Championship 2026

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World Rugby Confirm Tier 1 U20 Championship Expanded to 16 Teams: Promoted Teams Announced as USA, Fiji, Japan and Uruguay

World Rugby confirmed what they had hinted at in an earlier media release in April, that the Tier 1 JWC U20 tournament will be expanded from 12 to 16 teams. Today they released more details, the tournament will be hosted by Georgia and that the four extra teams will be Fiji, USA, Japan and Uruguay. Fiji because they were the last team relegated in 2024, and the other three as they finished 2nd to 4th at the 2024 JWRT.

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World Rugby Officiating Selections

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Canada Only Country in Women’s Top 10 to Have Zero Representation on Women’s World Rugby 2025 Officiating Panel

You would think being #2 in the World that there would be some Canadian officiating representation at the Women’s Rugby World Cup to be held in England later this year. All the top 10 ranked countries have representation among the 22 officials selected… except Canada. England, Australia, Italy all have 3 selections, South Africa, NZ, Scotland, USA have 2. There are singles from France, Portugal, Wales, Ireland and Zimbabwe.

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World Rugby Updates – May 2025

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Final Qualification Tournament for Men’s RWC 2027 Set for Dubai in November; 20 Minute Red Cards Approved for Global Trial Including Women’s RWC 2025

A couple of announcements out of World Rugby this week. The men’s RWC 2027 Final Qualifier tournament will be held in Dubai from November 8-18. This is one of those news items that you hope won’t apply to Canada but it may. The Canada men’s XVs team will have 4 opportunities to qualify for the World Cup before that tournament with a win against one of the following countries this summer/fall USA, Japan, Tonga (likely), Chile (likely). Belgium, who Canada will host this summer, have already qualified for the 4 team RWC Qualifier in Dubai in November.

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Pacific Nations Cup 2025 – May Updates

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Rugby Canada Announce Calgary as Host of Canada v USA Match: World Rugby Releases Full Pacific Nations Cup Schedule

Rugby Canada have completed the announcement of their summer/fall schedule for the men’s XVs team with the Canada v USA fixture in Calgary on August 22nd. That will give them 5 games between July and September, possibly 6 if they finish in the top 4 at the Pacific Nations. World Rugby have also announced the full schedule for the Pacific Nations. Both reports are listed below.

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Rugby World Cup 2027 Updates

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Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Romania Qualify for World Cup After Weekend Action – 8 Places Remain

Georgia, Spain, Portugal and Romania have all qualified for the RWC 2027 after weekend action that saw the countries secure semi-final spots in the European Championships. There are now 8 places left in the expanded 24 team World Cup in Australia. Those spots available are Pacific 1 to 3, Africa 1, Asia 1, South America 1, South America/Pacific playoff winner, Repechage winner.

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World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2025

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World Rugby Announces Schedule for Sevens Challenger Series: Two Tournaments in South Africa and One in Poland

The Canadian men have a date in March in South Africa. There they will play two back to back tournaments and hope to finish in the top 8 or their journey is over. Only the top 8 teams will move on to Poland in April, and then only the top 4 will move on to LA for the promotion/relegation tournament in May.

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