Ten days in the desert : RWC Final Qualification Tournament 2025
- World Rugby confirms Final Qualification Tournament 2025 match schedule
- Paraguay have joined Belgium, Namibia and Samoa as the fourth nation to compete in the tournament.
- The final place for Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia is up for grabs for the participating teams at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai
- Panel of leading Emirates World Rugby Match Officials has been confirmed
World Rugby has officially confirmed the four nations to compete for the final place in the expanded 24-team Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027, at the Final Qualification Tournament (FQT) in Dubai on 8 -18 November. Over 10 days in the desert in Dubai - Belgium, Namibia, Paraguay and Samoa will compete to become the 24th and final team at Australia 2027.
Belgium and Paraguay will be striving to create history for their nations by reaching their first ever Rugby World Cup, while Namibia will look to play in their eighth consecutive RWC since first qualifying for Wales 1999. Samoa will be hoping to secure their 10th consecutive appearance at a Rugby World Cup after reaching the quarter-finals in 1991 and 1995.
Drama in the Desert
The Final Qualification Tournament will unfold over three match days - 8, 13, and 18 November, with each nation meeting all three other nations once in a single round-robin format. The team finishing top of the standings on competition points at the completion of the tournament will claim the 24th and final spot at Australia 2027.
Match Day 1 on Saturday, 8 November kicks-off with Manu Samoa taking on Los Yacarés of Paraguay in the opening match followed by the Black Devils of Belgium against the Welwitschias of Namibia, who will feel right at home as they take their moniker from a desert plant native to Angola and Namibia that can live for more than 1000 years.
Five days later on Thursday, 13 November Belgium match up against Paraguay while Samoa take on Namibia. Then on Match Day 3 Namibia will face Paraguay, while the final match pits top seeds Samoa against second seeds Belgium.
Four very different journeys – one destination
Two of the nations competing in the FQT have reached the Final Qualification Tournament through best ever performances in their respective continental championships, while for the other two nations it was a case of allowing their usually high standards to slip just a little.
For Belgium, inspired by the outstanding form of blindside flanker Jean-Maurice Decubber, they put back-to back wins together over Switzerland and the Netherlands over two magical weeks in March to see them finish fifth in the 2025 Rugby Europe Men's Championship and earn their place in the FQT.
It was a similar story for Paraguay who overcame Brazil in Round 3 of the Sudaméricano 2025 third place play-off for RWC 2027, 70-43 on aggregate over the two matches. This was an astonishing turn around after Los Yacarés had suffered a 77-17 loss to the more fancied Brazil just over 12 months before.
On the other side of the coin Namibia suffered a shock loss to Zimbabwe in the final of the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup to see them miss out on automatic qualification for Australia 2027, meaning they were forced into a play-off against the runner-up of the 2025 Asia Rugby Championship, United Arab Emirates. However the Welwitschias managed to navigate that challenge to see them line-up in Dubai.
It was a similar story for Samoa, who after finishing in a disappointing sixth place in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2025, then faced the runner-up in the Sudaméricano 2025, Chile. The proud Samoans were surprisingly beaten over two-legs, 63-44 on aggregate, their first ever loss to Chile, to see them take their place in the FQT.
Key dates and locations
The FQT takes place over three match days from 8-18 November at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai.
Men’s RWC 2027 Final Qualification Tournament
(all times local Dubai time GMT+4)
Match day 1 – 8 November
17:00 - Samoa v Paraguay
19:30 - Belgium v Namibia
Match day 2 – 13 November
17:00 - Belgium v Paraguay
19:30 - Samoa v Namibia
Match day 3 – 18 November
17:00 – Namibia v Paraguay
19:30 – Samoa v Belgium
For those in Dubai matches will be free to attend for spectators and rugby fans, and food and beverages will be available to purchase throughout the fixtures at The Sevens Stadium, The stadium’s famous ‘Beats on 2’ raised bar and viewing platform will also be open, offering fans the perfect spot to cheer on their teams.
For those unable to make it to Dubai, the tournament will be available to watch everywhere in the world, either through local broadcast partners or free via RugbyPass TV.
Leading Emirates World Rugby officials to blow the whistle
The Emirates Match Official appointments for the six matches, will ensure the highest standards of officiating for this winner-takes-all contest.
Referees Jordan Way (Australia), Craig Evans (Wales), Eoghan Cross (Ireland) and Damián Schneider (Argentina) will each take charge of one match across the opening two match days, with Griffin Colby (South Africa) and Brett Cronan (Australia) as assistant referee and Television Match Official respectively.
In addition Way and Evans will referee the games on 18 November with the Welshman handed the encounter between top two seeds Samoa and Belgium, which could prove the decisive match in determining the final qualifier for RWC 2027.
“The ultimate test of resilience, belief, and ambition”
Speaking shortly after the final line-up for the FQT was announced World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson said: “With Dubai set to host what promises to be an exciting and fiercely contested event, the Final Qualification Tournament embodies the global growth and inclusivity at the heart of our sport.
“The Final Qualification Tournament represents the ultimate test of resilience, belief, and ambition for these four nations. Each team has overcome enormous challenges to reach this stage, and only one will earn the right to compete at Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia.”
Standby for drama with all to play for and everything at stake
The FQT promises 10 days of drama in the desert as these four remaining nation strive for a seat at the pinnacle of the men’s game. Belgium and Paraguay are desperate to make their RWC debut while Namibia and Samoa are just as desperate to keep their long histories of consecutive appearances going.
Don’t miss a minute of what is sure to be three days of high-quality high-stakes rugby as a quartet of teams strive to claim that final ticket to one of the greatest rugby shows on earth, Australia 2027.
