MONS, Belgium — Georgia and Romania have successfully secured their spots in the 2027 Rugby World Cup after advancing to the semifinals of the Rugby Europe Championship this past Saturday.

In Tbilisi, Georgia’s Lelos triumphed over the Netherlands with a score of 40-7, continuing their impressive streak of nearly eight years without a loss in the competition. A standout moment came from fullback Davit Niniashvili, who performed a remarkable run down the center of the pitch before delivering a stunning over-the-shoulder pass that allowed Vasil Lobzhanidze to score.

The Georgian team will make their return to Australia for the upcoming World Cup, where they had their inaugural appearance back in 2003. Since then, Georgia has been a consistent presence at the tournament. In their most recent outing in France for the 2023 World Cup, the team achieved a notable feat by drawing 18-18 against Portugal, which marked their best result in the pool stage.

Meanwhile, Romania secured their semifinal berth by defeating Belgium 31-14 in Mons. A pivotal moment in the match came from center Taylor Gontineac, who intercepted a pass and sprinted 60 meters to score a try that significantly dashed Belgium’s hopes.

Romania has participated in every World Cup throughout its history, with the exception of the 2019 tournament in Japan. Though they had qualified, they were disqualified due to the fielding of an ineligible player. In a twist of fate, when Spain lost points during the qualifying process for the 2023 World Cup, Romania was granted a place but unfortunately did not manage to secure a win in any of their pool matches in France.