Paraguay sensationally pull out of Rugby World Cup race

Paraguay’s hopes of competing in their first Rugby World Cup are sensationally over before a ball has even been passed in the Final Qualification Tournament.

Los Yacares had booked their place at the tournament, which will decide the 24th and final qualifier for Australia 2027, with a 70-43 aggregate win over South American rivals Brazil.

Paraguay won the first leg of the play-off 39-19 before backing it up with a 31-24 victory in the return match.

However, it has since been discovered by Paraguay that they fielded an ineligibe player in the play-off matches and they have subsequently withdrawn from the competition.

As a result, Brazil will take their place in the four-team line-up, which features Rugby World Cup regulars, Samoa and Namibia, and Belgium.

Brazil, like Belgium, have never taken part in a Rugby World Cup before, and will enter the final phase of qualifying as the lowest-ranked of the nations.

A statement by World Rugby said: “World Rugby can confirm that Brazil will replace Paraguay at the Final Qualification Tournament for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Dubai (8-18 November) as a consequence of Paraguay withdrawing from the competition, having discovered that they fielded an ineligible player in the recent play-off matches between the two teams.

“World Rugby welcomes Paraguay’s voluntary admission of fault and accepts the explanation that an administration oversight led to the fielding of an ineligible player for both qualifiers against Brazil.”

Paraguayan Rugby Union President Gustavo Borgognon said: “This is a difficult moment for our team and our community, but it’s a decision we must make as men of principle, in keeping with rugby’s core value of integrity. The Regulation 8 provision on player eligibility was misunderstood; there was no attempt to gain a sporting advantage, and we accept responsibility for the resulting consequences.

“On behalf of the Paraguayan Rugby Union, I extend our deepest gratitude to everyone whose dedication brought this sporting milestone to life. Rugby in Paraguay has advanced significantly through sustained effort and commitment. Our high-performance programmes are producing results, and by continuing to work together we will recover and keep growing the sport we love.”