Latest news with #WorldRugbyMen'sRankings
The South African
6 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
Rankings: Where Springboks stand before Rugby Championship
After the July internationals, the All Blacks have made up plenty of ground on the Springboks in the world rugby rankings, with just 0.72 points separating the arch-rivals. As the Springboks now head towards their Rugby Championship title, there will be a number of goals they will want to achieve, but the importance of maintaining prime position in the rankings should not be underestimated. Scheduled for December, the 2027 World Cup draw will be based on the World Rugby Men's Rankings at the end of the November international window, and so the Springboks will be desperately hoping to still be at the top by that stage. You can see exactly how the rankings are calculated by clicking here. As at 24 July 2025 Rank Country Points 1 South Africa 92.78 2 New Zealand 92.06 3 Ireland 89.83 4 France 87.82 5 England 87.64 6 Australia 82.08 7 Argentina 82.05 8 Scotland 81.57 9 Fiji 80.50 10 Italy 77.77 11 Georgia 74.69 12 Wales 74.05 13 Samoa 72.48 14 Japan 72.29 15 Spain 69.12 16 USA 68.45 17 Uruguay 67.52 18 Portugal 66.44 19 Tonga 65.46 20 Chile 63.83 Forwards: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Jean-Luc du Preez (Bordeaux Begles), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Sharks), Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), RG Snyman (Leinster), Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Boan Venter (Edinburgh), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls), Cobus Wiese (Vodacom Bulls). Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Ethan Hooker (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls), Manie Libbok (Hanazono Kintetsu Liners), Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls), Handre Pollard (Vodacom Bulls), Cobus Reinach (Stormers), Edwill van der Merwe (Sharks), Morne van den Berg (Lions), Grant Williams (Sharks), Damian Willemse (Stormers). Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
HKFP
07-07-2025
- Sport
- HKFP
Hong Kong China qualifies for the Men's Rugby World Cup 2027
Hong Kong China have qualified for the Men's Rugby World Cup 2027 for the first time, following their 70-22 win over Korea on Saturday. Hong Kong also made history as only the second Asian team, after Japan, to qualify for the tournament according to a statement released by World Rugby. 'There has been an enormous commitment from the team over the last 12 months to best prepare. The team travelled to Chile, Paraguay and Brazil last summer, hosted Brazil twice in November, completed a full domestic rugby season, then held pre-tournament camps in Australia and Japan,' said Head Coach Andrew Douglas following the Asia Rugby Emirates Championship victory, the statement said. The Asia Rugby title granted the team an automatic qualification for the tournament taking place in Australia in October, 2027. The team, currently ranked 23rd in the World Rugby Men's Rankings, won their sixth consecutive champions trophy at the Incheon contest on Saturday. Chris Brooke, chair of Hong Kong China Rugby, congratulated the team on their achievement: 'We have always said that potential Rugby World Cup qualification marked a huge opportunity for the four teams competing in this tournament, and indeed for rugby in Asia as a whole – and we are very proud to be joining Japan as a second Asian team at a Men's Rugby World Cup,' 'Qualifying for a Men's World Cup is a historic moment that will act as a further catalyst for growth at all levels of the game,' he added, according to the press statement.
The South African
17-06-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Where Springboks stand in rankings ahead of 2025 season
The Springboks are heading ever closer to their season-opener against the Barbarians in Cape Town on Saturday 28 June, and they do so with a comfortable lead at the top of the World Rugby rankings. Despite the fact that the Springboks were out of action while the Six Nations took place earlier this year, their lead at the summit of the rankings never came under any real threat after Ireland underperformed in the southern hemisphere competition. As the Springboks now prepare for a jam-packed season, the world champions boast a healthy rankings gap of 2.42 points ahead of second-placed New Zealand, while they are 2.95 points clear of Ireland in third. In fourth place, France are now 3.27 points behind the Springboks, but there is then a significant gap from fifth-placed Argentina onwards. You can find the full rankings here. It can't be forgotten that the Springboks' world ranking position will be more important than ever in the context of the changes to the 2027 World Cup format. Scheduled for December 2025, the draw will be based on the World Rugby Men's Rankings at the end of the November international window. This approach aims to ensure a more accurate and up-to-date seeding process and adds significant weight to every international Test match played in the remainder of the calendar year. Scheduled for December 2025, the draw will be based on the World Rugby Men's Rankings at the end of the November international window. This approach ensures a more accurate and up-to-date seeding process and adds significant weight to every international test match played in the remainder of the calendar year. World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson said: 'As we head towards the most inclusive and globally representative tournament ever, with 24 teams competing in an expanded format and at least one nation from each of our regional associations, this final step on the 'Journey to Australia 2027' will be a celebration of ambition, resilience and the global spirit of rugby. 'We cannot wait to see which team earns the final place and joins us for what promises to be a unique celebration of rugby and Australia in 2027.' Rugby World Cup 2027 will be the first edition to feature an expanded format with 24 teams, a new round of 16 and increasing the number of matches to 52. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
22-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
When is the next Rugby World Cup draw?
The Springboks' planning for their World Cup title defence in 2027 is already well under way, with South Africa currently enjoying a healthy rankings gap of 2.42 points ahead of second-placed New Zealand, while they are 2.95 points clear of third-placed Ireland. Maintaining a position of strength will be more important than ever by the time this season comes to an end. The draw for the expanded 24-team 2027 World Cup is set to take place in December, and so the rankings then will be used to determine the top seeds for the draw. It's already been confirmed that next Rugby World Cup will feature 24 teams in an expanded format, with all qualifiers taking place in 2025 as teams worldwide compete in a series of regional qualifiers, each striving to secure one of the 12 available places. For the first time in the in the professional era, the men's pool draw will take place with all 24 participating teams confirmed. Scheduled for December 2025, the draw will be based on the World Rugby Men's Rankings at the end of the November international window. This approach ensures a more accurate and up-to-date seeding process and adds significant weight to every international test match played in the remainder of the calendar year. World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson said: 'As we head towards the most inclusive and globally representative tournament ever, with 24 teams competing in an expanded format and at least one nation from each of our regional associations, this final step on the 'Journey to Australia 2027' will be a celebration of ambition, resilience and the global spirit of rugby. 'We cannot wait to see which team earns the final place and joins us for what promises to be a unique celebration of rugby and Australia in 2027.' Rugby World Cup 2027 will be the first edition to feature an expanded format with 24 teams, a new round of 16 and increasing the number of matches to 52. 28 June: vs Barbarians, DHL Stadium, Cape Town. Kick off: 17:05. 5 July: vs Italy, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria. Kick off: 17:10. 12 July: vs Italy, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha. Kick off: 17:10. 19 July: vs Georgia, Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit. Kick off: 17:10. 16 August: vs Australia, Ellis Park, Johannesburg. Kick off: 17:10. 23 August: vs Australia, DHL Stadium, Cape Town. Kick off: 17:10. 6 September: vs New Zealand, Auckland. Kick off: 09:05. 13 September: vs New Zealand, Wellington. Kick off: 09:05. 27 September: vs Argentina, Kings Park, Durban. Kick off: 17:10. 4 October: vs Argentina, London. Kick off: 15:00. 8 November: vs France, Paris. Kick off: TBD. 15 November: vs Italy, Turin. Kick off: TBD. 22 November: vs Ireland, Dublin. Kick off: 19:40. 29 November: vs Wales, Cardiff. Kick off: 17:10. *SA Rugby are working on adding two more Tests for the Springboks, likely to be against Japan and Portug Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. Meanwhile, here is an important reminder on ticket sales for the Springbok men's game against Argentina in the Rugby Championship at Twickenham in October. Ticket sales Tickets are on sale via and England Rugby, starting from just £55* for adults and £28* for Under-16s. (*booking fees apply)
