LISBON, Portugal — In a significant achievement for Spanish rugby, the national team has qualified for the men’s Rugby World Cup, marking their first appearance in the tournament since 1999. This milestone was secured following their participation in the Rugby Europe Championship semifinals, which took place on Sunday.
Spain secured their spot in the World Cup by defeating Switzerland with a score of 43-13 in Yverdon-les-Bains. This accomplishment paves the way for their entry into the 2027 World Cup, which will be held in Australia. Not only did Spain achieve this success, but they were also joined by Portugal, who will make consecutive World Cup appearances.
Previously, Spain had qualified for the 2023 World Cup; however, they faced penalties due to fielding an ineligible player on two separate occasions, which resulted in them losing their qualifying position. Additionally, Spain encountered challenges during the qualification for the 2019 Rugby World Cup when they were disqualified for similar reasons involving ineligible players.
The only prior instance of Spain participating in the Rugby World Cup was back in 1999 in Scotland, where the team struggled and lost all three of their matches against Uruguay, South Africa, and Scotland. Meanwhile, Portugal, fondly referred to as Os Lobos, had an impressive outing in the Rugby Europe Championship, defeating Germany 56-14, thus completing two successful matches in the competition, which stands as Europe’s second-tier after the Six Nations.
Portugal’s journey in World Cup history includes a debut in 2007 in France, where they did not secure any victories. However, in their return to the World Cup in 2023, they made headlines by triumphing over Fiji, a team that reached the quarterfinals, and managing a draw with Georgia.
This past weekend saw Spain, Portugal, Georgia, and Romania earn the four direct qualifying spots from Europe, with an additional eight qualification slots still available globally. The upcoming 2027 Rugby World Cup will expand its participation to include 24 teams for the very first time, increasing from the previous limit of 20.
