
Canada men to open Rugby World Cup qualifying against U.S. in Calgary in August
Canada will take the first step towards the 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup with a game against the U.S. on Aug. 22 in Calgary to open the Pacific Nations Cup.
The Canadian men are currently ranked 24th in the world, compared to No. 15 for the U.S. Eagles.
The six-team Pacific Nations Cup, which also features No. 9 Fiji, No. 13 Japan, No. 14 Samoa and No. 19 Tonga, will send three sides to the 2027 World Cup in Australia. But given Fiji and Japan have already qualified by virtue of their performance at the 2023 tournament, a top-five finish would do it for Canada if Fiji and Japan finish above it.
Canada will play Japan in Sendai on Aug. 30.
The Pacific Nations Cup semifinals and fifth-versus-sixth game are scheduled for Sept. 14 in Denver with the championship and third-place game set for Sept. 20 in Salt Lake City.
The 2027 World Cup features an expanded 24-team field, up from 20 last year in France.
The game at McMahon Stadium will be the Canadian men's third match in Alberta this summer following two in Edmonton in July against No. 22 Belgium and No. 16 Spain. Those games will mark the debut of Australian coach Steve Meehan.
Canada lost 28-15 to the U.S. the last time they met, at the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup in Los Angeles last August.
Should Canada fail to qualify via the Pacific Nations Cup, it will still have two more chances to make the World Cup field, via a playoff with the 2025 Sudamerica Rugby Championship runner-up and, finally, a four-team repechage tournament.
Canada failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, the first time it has missed the sport's showcase, after losing two-legged qualifying series to the U.S. (59-50 on aggregate) and Chile (54-46).
Defending champion South Africa, France, New Zealand, Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Fiji, Australia, England, Argentina and Japan have already qualified for the '27 World Cup by virtue of finishing top three in their pool last year in France.
In addition to the three teams from the Pacific Nations Cup, other qualifiers will come from the top four teams from the 2025 Rugby Europe Championship, the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup champion, the 2025 Asia Rugby Championship winner and the 2025 Sudamerica Rugby Championship winner.
Another qualifier will come from a playoff between the 2025 South American runner-up and the bottom team from the Pacific Nations Cup (not including Fiji and Japan).
The final entry will be determined via a four-team round-robin final qualification tournament featuring the third-place team from the 2025 Sudamerica Rugby Championship, the South America/Pacific playoff loser, the fifth-place team from the 2025 Rugby Europe Championship and the winner of a playoff between the runners-up from the 2025 Rugby Africa and Asia Rugby championships.
The 2023 World Cup was the first to feature three South American teams in No. 5 Argentina, No. 17 Uruguay and No. 23 Chile. The region now has its own direct qualifier spot rather than competing with Canada and the U.S. for the Americas 1 and 2 spots.
The new World Cup format feature six pools of four teams, with a round of 16 added before the quarterfinals. World Rugby says that means the tournament will be shortened from seven to six weeks.
—-
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2025
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jude Bellingham misses England training due to funeral but could face Senegal
Jude Bellingham missed training on Monday due to a family funeral but will be available for England's season-ending friendly against Senegal. The 21-year-old started Saturday's snoozefest in Barcelona as Thomas Tuchel's side continued their winning start to World Cup qualification with a 1-0 triumph against minnows Andorra. Advertisement England round off the campaign with Tuesday's friendly against Senegal at the City Ground in Nottingham, where Bellingham is ready to feature despite sitting out training due to a personal matter. The Football Association said: '24 players are out training at St. George's Park this afternoon. Jude Bellingham is absent to attend a family funeral and will return to camp later today.' Ollie Watkins withdrew from the camp on Friday due to a minor injury, with Bukayo Saka and Conor Gallagher left out of the 23-man squad for Andorra.
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
England's Sciver-Brunt Kicks Off Captaincy with Series Sweep
England's Sciver-Brunt Kicks Off Captaincy with Series Sweep originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Nat Sciver-Brunt has begun her tenure as England Women's ODI captain by steering her side to a 3-0 clean sweep against the West Indies. Advertisement The final victory came in a rain-affected match at Taunton, where England chased down 107 in just 65 balls with nine wickets to spare. The contest, shortened to 21 overs per side due to rain, saw England opt to field after winning the toss. Their bowlers quickly capitalized on the conditions, restricting the West Indies to 106 for 8. England then cruised to victory, with Sciver-Brunt leading with a composed half-century. "That's a great way to finish the series," Sciver-Brunt said after the match. "It has rained a few times in Taunton. We wanted to have a bit more opportunity in the middle, but bowling first and the rain didn't help that." This series marked a significant chapter for England, as it was their first under Sciver-Brunt's captaincy following the departure of longtime skipper Heather Knight in March. Advertisement Sciver-Brunt emphasized the importance of exploring different player combinations in the build-up to the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in India, which begins on September 30. "Looking at different combinations, trying things out. We have to gather information or we won't be able to explore them nearer to the World Cup,' she said. 'It's a pleasing thing to see that everyone given an opportunity has put their hand up.' England now turns its attention to domestic fixtures before regrouping for the eight-team World Cup, where it'll face top sides including Australia, India, and New Zealand. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.


Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
How to watch Argentina vs Colombia: Live stream 2026 World Cup qualifier online from anywhere
The Argentina vs Colombia live stream is a must-win game for the visitors as they attempt to end a run of four straight defeats and keep alive their chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup — and you can watch it from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for FREE! The Argentina vs Colombia live stream takes place on Tuesday, June 10. • Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST (Wed) / 10 a.m. AEST (Wed)• FREE STREAM — SBS On Demand (Australia)• U.K. — Premier Sports• U.S. — Telemundo via Fubo• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free Despite having already secured their place at next year's World Cup, Argentina are showing no signs of letting up. Lionel Scaloni's side defeated Chile 1-0 last week and have now won 11 of their 15 CONMEBOL qualifying matches and are 10 points clear with three games remaining. La Albiceleste will now be seeking a fifth straight victory in front of their home supporters and may well start Lionel Messi after he came off the bench on Tuesday. Sitting sixth in the table after just one win from seven games, Colombia are still in the final qualifying spot but are feeling the pressure after Venezuela moved to within three points following two consecutive victories. Desperate to end his poor run of form, Nestor Lorenzo's team can look back positively on the reverse fixture when they secured a 2-1 victory over Argentina. They will also welcome back Liverpool star Luis Diaz, the joint-top goalscorer in qualifying alongside Messi, from suspension. Here's how to watch Argentina vs Colombia live streams from anywhere in the world, and potentially for free. If you're in Australia you're in luck as you can watch a Argentina vs Colombia live stream for FREE. It will be streamed online on the SBS On Demand along with all other CONMEBOL qualifiers. Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch all the action as if you were back home. NordVPN is our top pick of the options and we'll show you how to access it below. Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching soccer on your usual subscription? You can still watch Argentina vs Colombia live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market: There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 7,000 servers, across 115+ countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend. Get up to 70% off NordVPN with this deal Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're away from Australia, and want to view SBS as usual, you'd select an Australia server from the list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head over to SBS On Demand and enjoy! Viewers in the U.S. can watch Argentina vs Colombia live stream on Telemundo. Telemundo may be accessible as part of your cable package. If you've cut the cord, then you can also stream the game on Fubo. It's got a 7-day free trial so you don't need to pay upfront and has dozens of sports channels, including NBC, USA, NBCSN and TYC Sports via its $84.99 per month Pro Plan. Not currently in the USA but want to catch the match? You can use a VPN to watch all the action as if you were back home. NordVPN is our top pick of the options. Football fans in the U.K. will need a Premier Sports subscription to watch the Argentina vs Colombia live stream. Packages start from £10.99 per month and the game will be broadcast on the Premier Sports 1 channel. You can sign up directly with Premier Sports, but you can also subscribe to their channels via Sky TV or Virgin TV or Amazon Prime Video. If you're in the U.K. and want to watch your subscriptions from back home, use a good VPN like NordVPN. Argentina vs Colombia is available on the Canadian version of Fanatiz. There are two PPV options for Canadian viewers with the $49.99 deal for the Colombia PPV package. Or if you want access to the majority of CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers this month, go for the $99.99 deal. If you're out of Canada and want to watch access your Fanatiz subscription from back home, use a good VPN like NordVPN. Argentina vs Colombia is being shown on SBS on TV Down Under, and you can watch Chile vs Argentina online for FREE via the SBS On Demand streaming service and app. It kicks off at 11 a.m. AEST on Friday morning. If you're away from Australia right now and want to watch your usual subscription from back home, use a quality VPN like NordVPN. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.