The 2025 Rugby Africa Cup, set to be hosted in Uganda, will serve as a key qualifier for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
The winner of the tournament will secure automatic qualification, joining 16 teams that have already booked their place, while the runner-up will advance to the intercontinental playoff.
Uganda, aiming for its first-ever World Cup appearance, will look to leverage home advantage to secure a historic qualification.
World Rugby has confirmed that the draw for the 2027 World Cup will take place later than previous editions, ensuring that all 24 teams are known before pools are determined.
The decision comes after widespread criticism of the 2023 tournament draw, which was conducted in 2020 using outdated rankings due to the pandemic.
That early draw resulted in a lopsided competition, with the world’s top four teams—South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, and France—all landing on the same side of the bracket.
To prevent a similar scenario, former World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont announced in 2023 that the draw for Australia 2027 would be held just before the 2026 Six Nations, likely in December this year or early January 2026.
“What we will be doing is looking to have the pool draw as late as possible so that you get more consistency around the balance in a pool,” Beaumont said.
Twelve teams automatically qualified for the 2027 World Cup by finishing in the top three of their pools at France 2023.
They were later joined by Georgia, Romania, Spain, and Portugal through the Rugby Europe Championship, leaving eight spots still up for grabs. One of those places will go to the Rugby Africa Cup 2025 winner.
While Namibia has historically dominated this path, Zimbabwe’s victory last year proved that African qualification remains competitive. Uganda, along with teams like Kenya and Algeria, will be pushing to upset the traditional powerhouses.
Other remaining qualification slots will be decided through the Sudamerica Rugby Championship, the Asia Rugby Men’s Championship, and the 2025 Pacific Nations Cup, with a final spot available through the repechage tournament.
