By Priscilla Jepchumba
This Sunday, South America will witness the continuation of the Rugby World Cup 2027 Qualifying as Chile prepares to host Brazil in the thrilling final match of the Tri-Nations tournament.
The fierce showdown will feature two teams—Chile, Los Cóndores, and Brazil, Los Yacarés—competing in a triangular tournament alongside Paraguay.
Chile holds the 22nd position in the World Rugby rankings and is the third-highest-ranked team in South America after Argentina and Uruguay. Brazil is ranked fourth in the region.
Having secured their spots in the South American final in 2025 by defeating Paraguay, Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay are set to showcase their prowess in this highly anticipated event.
In an upcoming high-stakes match, Paraguay will face Colombia to determine the final participant in the tournament. Meanwhile, Chile and Brazil have a longstanding rivalry dating back 73 years to their first match in 1951.
During the Rugby World Cup 2015-2019 cycle, Brazil emerged victorious over Chile four times. In 2023, Brazil once again triumphed, this time with a 27-12 win over a Chile XV team. Chile's rugby progress has been closely linked to its involvement in Super Rugby Americas.
Notably, hooker Simón Donoso will make his debut for Chile, joining the team as a replacement. However, some of Chile's overseas professionals will be absent, although exceptions include Martín Sigren and Santiago Videla, who compete in Major League Rugby, as well as Matías Dittus and Bruno Sáez.
On the Brazilian side, 14 out of the starting 15 players hail from Cobras in Super Rugby Americas, with Wilton Rebolo playing for Los Angeles in Major League Rugby. Additionally, two replacement players for Brazil, Moisés Duque and Felipe Rosa, ply their trade in Portugal for Académica and São Miguel, respectively.
Interestingly, Brazilian center Lorenzo Massari Temer is related to former President Michel Temer. Additionally, Matías Dittus' father, Gabriel Dittus Marín, tragically passed away this week, and on the same note, second-rower Javier Eissmann is currently finalizing a move to play in Pro D2 in France.
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