Chile sealed back-to-back World Cup appearances after beating Samoa in Viña del Mar on Saturday.

Roared on by a capacity home crowd at Estadio Sausalito, Los Cóndores became the 23rd team to qualify for the expanded 24-team showpiece, a landmark moment in Chilean rugby.

The 31-12 win capped off a tense two-leg playoff against Samoa, after the South Americans had seen a 19-point lead slip in a 32-32 draw in Salt Lake City last weekend. This time, though, they held their nerve, with captain Clemente Saavedra leading a side that combined grit on defence with clinical finishing.

It marks another breakthrough for Chile under the guidance of coach Pablo Lemoine, the former Uruguayan international who has transformed the nation into a genuine force in South American rugby since taking charge in 2017.

Chile’s qualification also underlines the impact of Super Rugby Americas, the regional professional competition where the majority of the squad cut their teeth with the Santiago-based Selknam franchise.

For Samoa, who have featured at every World Cup since 1991, the road is longer – they now head to Dubai in November for the last-chance Final Qualification Tournament that will also feature Belgium, Namibia and the winner of the Brazil-Paraguay two-leg playoff, set for 11 and 18 October in Asunción and São Paulo.

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Chile, meanwhile, will discover their pool opponents when the draw for Australia 2027 takes place in December, with their raucous supporters already dreaming of making more history on rugby’s biggest stage.

Photo: X/@TeamChile_COCH