The Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) confirmed it will work with Sudamerica Rugby and unions in Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay to explore a regional hosting plan.

World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin is in Buenos Aires to discuss the bid with UAR President Gabriel Travaglini, who called it a “legacy-driven project” showcasing the sport’s growth across Argentina and beyond.

Argentina faces competition from Spain, Japan, Italy, and a joint Middle Eastern bid, but the Pumas’ strong record, three World Cup semifinal appearances, underlines the nation’s rugby pedigree.

If successful, the bid would mark a historic milestone for South American rugby.

The post Argentina Launch Bid to Host 2035 Rugby World Cup appeared first on NBS Sport.

Rugby Africa Cup champions Zimbabwe, who will feature at the tournament for the first time since 1991, were drawn in Pool F. They will face England, Wales and Tonga.

Pools for 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup:

• Pool A: New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong China.
• Pool B: South Africa, Italy, Georgia, Romania.
• Pool C: Argentina, Fiji, Spain, Canada.
• Pool D: Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay, Portugal.
• Pool E: France, Japan, USA, Samoa.
• Pool F: England, Wales, Tonga, Zimbabwe.

Rugby fans in Zimbabwe were hosted at a watch party in Harare and welcomed the news of the draws with excitement.

Meanwhile, four-time and current world champions South Africa are in Pool B with Italy, Georgia and Romania.

Fixtures and the full match schedule will be announced on February 3, 2026.

The post Africa Champions Zimbabwe Drawn in Pool F For 2027 Rugby World Cup appeared first on NBS Sport.

The 23-year-old loose forward, who recently joined English club Bradford Bulls for a training programme, helped her amateur team secure a spot in the World Series in Canada later this month.

Nigeria needs just two victories there to qualify for the 2026 Women’s World Cup, a feat no African nation has achieved.

Iliya, who scored two tries on her debut, told BBC Sport Africa that rugby “means everything to me” and has shaped her into a “strong and resilient woman.”

Despite working long hours as a personal trainer, she channels that physical drive onto the field.

The 17th-ranked Green Falcons will face Ireland in the semi-finals on October 21st, with the winner advancing to play for the single World Cup berth against either Canada or Fiji.

For Iliya and her team, qualification would not just be a win for Nigeria, but a massive breakthrough for rugby league across the African continent.

The post Personal Trainer Rachel Iliya Chasing Historic Rugby World Cup Spot for Nigeria appeared first on NBS Sport.

The Welwitschias thrashed UAE by 86-29 (halftime 39-22) points at the Mandela National Stadium in Namboole.

Namibia scored thirteen tries through Danie Van Der Merwe (2), Richard Hardwick (2), Torsten Van Jaarsveld (2), Oliver Kurz, Aston Mukwilongo (2), Adriaan Ludick, Armand Combrinck (2) and Max Katjijeko. Cliven Loubser (one conversion) and Andrew Van Der Berg (eight conversions and one penalty) kicked the other points.

UAE were no match for Namibia’s forwards who used the rolling maul to such devastating effect, and the backs whose pace was a sight to behold. But they put points on the board through Emosi Vecenaua (two tries), Jack Stapley and Max Johnson (three conversions, one penalty and one try).

Overall, it was not the most clinical of displays from both teams as three yellow cards — two to UAE and one to Namibia — were dished out in the match.

Although the stands were nearly empty, NBS Sport produced and broadcast the match to hundreds of thousands of viewers in Uganda and around the world.

Victory means Namibia progress to the Final Qualification Tournament to be played from November 8-18 in Dubai, UAE.

They will face Belgium (Europe) and two other nations from South America and/or the Pacific who are yet to complete their regional qualifiers.

The post Namibia Thrash UAE in Asia-Africa Rugby World Cup Playoff appeared first on NBS Sport.

The visiting delegation includes key figures in the global rugby community: Mr. Benjamin van Rooyen, CEO of Asia Rugby; Mr. Qais Al Dhalai, President of both Asia Rugby and the Arab Rugby Federation as well as a World Rugby Council Member; and Madam Fawzia, Vice President of UAE Rugby and Head of Women’s Rugby in the country.

Their arrival marks a significant moment as Uganda prepares to host a high-stakes international fixture that will determine who advances to the final qualification tournament—commonly known as the Repechage—set for November in Dubai.

The presence of Asia Rugby’s top brass underlines the growing collaboration between the two continents and reflects the increasing prestige of Africa as a capable host for elite rugby events.

Saturday’s match will see Namibia, the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup runners-up, face off against the UAE, Asia’s second-ranked side. The winner of this one-off playoff moves a step closer to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

The Final Qualification Tournament will feature four teams, with only one booking a ticket to the expanded 24-team World Cup. Zimbabwe, who won the Africa Cup earlier this month, have already sealed direct qualification.

The fixture at Namboole is expected to draw attention from across the rugby world, with Uganda once again stepping into the spotlight as a venue for major international sport.

The post Asia Rugby Executives Arrive in Uganda Ahead of World Cup Playoff appeared first on NBS Sport.

Of the twenty-four, eighteen have already qualified; including the 2025 men’s Rugby Africa Cup champions Zimbabwe. This will be the Zimbabwe Sables’ third appearance having made it in 1987 and 1991.

Rugby Africa Cup runners-up Namibia still have a chance of qualifying for the tournament and making it eight successive appearances since 1999.

The Welwitschias’ journey continues with a one-off match against United Arab Emirates on Saturday, July 26.

This will be from 4 p.m. EAT (local time) at the Mandela National Stadium in Uganda during the Africa-Asia Playoff.

• Africa-Asia Playoff:
• Namibia vs United Arab Emirates
• Venue: Mandela National Stadium Namboole
• Kickoff: 4 p.m. EAT (local time)

The winner of this playoff match will progress to the Final Qualification Tournament (Repechage) scheduled for November this year in Dubai. It will feature four teams in a round-robin format.

Teams participating in Final Qualification Tournament:
• Africa-Asia Playoff Winner
• South America Rugby Championship Bronze Medal winner
• South America-Pacific Playoff Loser
• Rugby Europe Championship 5th Place

Only one team — the winner on competition points from this tournament — will qualify for the Rugby World Cup.

The post Namibia to Face UAE in Africa-Asia Playoff for Rugby World Cup appeared first on NBS Sport.

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.

The post Rugby Africa Cup 2025: Uganda Targets World Cup Spot as 2027 Draw Set for Later Date appeared first on NBS Sport.

This tournament will serve as a crucial qualifying round for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, marking Uganda’s opportunity to compete on the world stage.

After finishing fifth in the 2024 Rugby Africa Cup, also hosted at Mandela National Stadium, Uganda’s national rugby team must now elevate their performance to secure a spot in the next World Cup.

With 12 teams – France, New Zealand, Italy, Ireland, Champions South Africa, Scotland, Wales, Fiji, Australia, England, Argentina and Japan – having qualified directly by finishing top three in their pool at France 2023, 12 teams will be determined via the RWC 2027 global qualification process.

To secure a place in the 2027 Rugby World Cup, Uganda must either win the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup or finish as runners-up to qualify for a playoff game against the runners up from Asia.

Winning the tournament outright guarantees direct qualification, a feat that will require overcoming the continent’s top rugby nations.

This would be a historic achievement for Ugandan rugby, marking their debut in the world’s most prestigious rugby tournament.

However, if Uganda finishes second in the Rugby Africa Cup they will have a playoff against Asia’s runners up and the winner will qualify for the repechage tournament—a final qualification pathway.

The repechage will involve a four-team round-robin tournament. The four teams will be; the third team in the Sudamerica Rugby Championship 2025, the South America / Pacific Play-off loser, the fifth team in the Rugby Europe Championship 2025 and the Africa / Asia Play-off winner.

Uganda’s performance in the 2024 Rugby Africa Cup, where they finished fifth, highlighted both potential and areas for improvement.

Hosting the event provided a boost of local support, but the team struggled against Zimbabwe in the quarter finals eventually failing to break into the top four.

The lessons learned from that campaign will be crucial as they aim to make the necessary adjustments and push for a top-two finish in 2025.

The qualification pathway for the 2027 Rugby World Cup has been reimagined, featuring 11 direct qualification spots from regional competitions and a final repechage tournament for the last available place.

In each region, teams will qualify as follows:

-Europe (4) – Rugby Europe Championship 2025 top four teams

-Africa (1) – Rugby Africa Cup 2025 champions

-Asia (1) – Asia Rugby Men’s Championship 2025 champions

-South America (1) – Sudamerica Rugby Championship 2025 champions

-Pacific (3) – Pacific Nations Cup 2025 top three teams (minus Fiji and Japan already qualified)

-South America / Pacific Play-off (1) – Sudamerica Rugby Championship 2025 runners up against Pacific Nations Cup’s bottom team (excluding qualified teams)

-Final Qualification Tournament (1)

The post Uganda’s Path to Rugby World Cup: How the Cranes Can Qualify for 2027 appeared first on NBS Sport.