LONG READ Huge ambitions and milestone moments as World Rugby Nations Cup returns

The inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup resumes this weekend, as the game’s best and most ambitious emerging teams continue their quest for victory. A champion will be crowned from each pool, with the United States and Georgia currently occupying prime positions in their respective groups.

Chile and Portugal are hot on their heels, however, and other major players are jostling for position and momentum as the countdown to Rugby World Cup 2027 intensifies.

Matches will be staged as far and wide as Lisbon, Angouleme and Hong Kong China this month, creating a colourful backdrop to a tournament worthy of your attention.

Lelos and Eagles soar highest… for now

After three rounds, USA in pool A and Georgia in pool B reigned supreme, coming out of the opening block of matches in July with three wins and 14 points apiece. The Eagles and the Lelos bagged a bonus point in every game except against Portugal and Samoa, respectively, showing their dominance.

With Luka Matkava and Christopher Hilsenbeck masterfully pulling the strings and the likes of Perry Mayo (what an impact the winger had for the USA), Tornike Jalagonia, Kapeli Pifeleti and Ilia Spanderashvili massively influencing each game, it wasn’t a surprise when USA and Georgia came through the month unscathed.

While most didn’t think the Romanian Stejarii could mount a title challenge, the truth is David Gérard’s side had enough firepower to draw against Uruguay and land a monumental last-play win over Samoa. As the Eastern European country’s set-piece looks to be bolstered and a dynamic running backline which delivered nine of their 15 tries in July developes, it wouldn’t be a shock if Romania collect at least two wins in November.

Portugal are stocked with trailblazing firepower in the form of Rodrigo Marta, who is the Top 14’s second-top try-scorer, Manuel Cardoso Pinto, Nicolás Martins, Cody Lee Thomas, Manuel Vareiro and Tomás Appleton. In July, they went to North America without Marta and Martins, but still defeated Canada and Tonga.

Chile, who will be hosted by the Lobos on Saturday, will have Lucas Berti, Rodrigo Fernández, Matías Garafulic, Martín Singren, and Diego Escobar as their leading superstars. Pablo Lemoine’s side has the gritty ambition to land three historic wins, which should set off alarms in Portugal, Spain and Zimbabwe. In July, the Cóndores delivered two stunning performances against Romania and Hong Kong China, but couldn’t topple Georgia.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong China created one of the most spectacular results of the fledgling tournament, beating World Cup regulars Uruguay for the first time ever. With seconds remaining, Logan Asplin’s side trailed by two points and won a penalty just inside Los Teros’ half. Having successfully landed five out of six kicks up to that point, Paul Altier eyed up the posts one last time before striking the ball cleanly between the uprights, sparking wild celebrations.

This moment was the Nations Cup in microcosm: history made, a record broken, and a moment enshrined in Hong Kong China rugby folklore.

The road to Australia

The Nations Cup is about much more than the fixtures themselves. Teams en masse have embraced what the competition has offered them. Portugal captain and icon Tomas Appleton sees wide-ranging benefits of regular, guaranteed and meaningful Test matches for his side.

“The Nations Cup is a great competition for us, as it allows us to develop our core team and game plan, but without losing sight of the competitive side,” he says. “We want to play against the top teams, but the Nations Cup provides us with a platform to play competitive games.

“We now know we are going to play at least six games in November and July, which makes it easier for us to prepare and get fans in the stands. It isn’t a World Cup, but it is not far off, as the environment and landscape have some similarities.”

Having captained Portugal to their maiden Rugby World Cup win in 2023, and co—skippered the Lobos to their first Rugby Europe Championship title in almost three decades earlier this year, Appleton has lofty ambitions.

“We want to win every game. We can’t shy away from being favourites and we will be looking to show how alive and ready the Lobos are!”

Spain will not meet their Iberian neighbours this month, but Los Leones will compete for a chance to reach the top, while earning vital reps to ready themselves for a long-awaited return to the World Cup.

“Having the chance to face and compete with teams on the same stage of development as us, who will also be playing in the next World Cup, undoubtedly benefits our growth,” says captain Jon Zabala.

“The Nations Cup isn’t just about the title. The chance to compete against Tonga and Samoa, two very physical teams, gives us the opportunity to grow other areas of the game, which is key for our future.”

With Spain hosting games in Madrid, Leganés and Málaga, the Section Paloise prop and his teammates are determined to deliver more than a few special memories to their fans.

“We have a lot of expectations for November. Uruguay, Chile, and Samoa are going to be huge spectacles, and we’ll be targeting those three games, for sure. We want to finish on a high and have the chance to celebrate on the podium.”

There is often little to choose between Nations Cup sides, despite a wide range of playing styles. Georgia, for example, needed to score just eight tries to sweep the board in July, relying on forward grunt and a brutal defence. It was Chile, however, who had the best defensive record, conceding only six tries across their trio of games. Uruguay, by contrast, ran in a tournament-high 17 tries.

The unseen impact

In July, the Chilean cities of Santiago, Viña del Mar and La Reina hosted Romania, Hong Kong China and Georgia on successive weekends, creating a buzz around the national rugby team and hubs for fans to enjoy and experience the sport.

The Georgia game was moved due to adverse weather and had to be played behind closed doors, but Santiago’s Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos attracted a healthy crowd of around 15,000 while Viña del Mar drew a further 12,000 spectators. The commercial and local impact of the tournament should not be overlooked.

“Hosting the first-ever Nations Cup was a pivotal milestone for us, as it positioned our country as a capable destination for hosting international sporting events,” says Francisco Rayo, the Chile Rugby Union’s media director.

“It created quite the noise in our sports community, as more fans came to the games, buying tickets and getting involved with rugby. As we aim for rugby to become the second-biggest sport in Chile, hosting tournaments like the Nations Cup allows us to get closer to that goal.”

As the Nations Cup begins again and Europe takes centre stage, more growth beckons.