Rugby World Cup qualification is a process that determines which nations will compete at a Rugby World Cup.
Unlike previous tournaments (where eight teams, the quarter-finalists from the preceding World Cup, qualified automatically and twelve places were available through qualification) the 2011 World Cup will be contested by twelve automatic qualifiers / seeds (the teams who finished in the top three of the groups at the 2007 World Cup) and eight qualifiers[1][2].
The qualification system for the remaining eight places will be region-based with Europe and the Americas allocated two qualifying places, Africa, Asia and Oceania one place each, with the last place determined by a play-off[3].
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The first rugby world cup, the tournament of 1987 held no qualifying tournament. Instead, all the then members of the International Rugby Board (then, IFRB) were automatically included in the competition. These members accounted for seven of the 16 available positions. The remaining positions were filled by invitation.
The next tournament, the 1991 Rugby World Cup implemented a qualifying process. Eight of the 16 available positions were filled by nations automatically, however, the remaining positions would be determined by a 25 nation qualifying tournament. The following tournament, the 1995 Rugby World Cup, increased the qualifying tournament to 43 nations. In addition to the eight previous quarterfinalists, hosts South Africa were granted automatic entry.
The approach changed again for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, as only the hosts and the defending champions, the runners-up, the third place play-off winners from the 1995 cup were to gain automatic entry, as opposed to the elite eight nations. The 1999 world cup also saw the introduction of a repechage, a second chance for teams that had finished runners-up in each qualifying zone. Again, the number of nations participating in the qualifying events increased, from 43 to 63.
81 teams entered qualifying for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. The eight quarter-finalists from the previous world cup gained automatic qualification with another twelve spots open to qualifiers. Teams from five continents, Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe and the Americas gained entry to the competition. Qualification came through a mixture of round robin tournaments, knockout and repechage.
A similar mixture of round robin tournaments, knockout and repechage was used for the qualification for the 2007 Rugby World Cup involving 86 teams, which together with the 8 teams which have qualified automatically brought to 94 the total number of teams participating in the 2007 tournament.
In addition to the eight quarterfinalists at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the four teams finishing in third place in their respective pools qualified automatically for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Various existing regional tournaments were incorporated into the qualification process for the remaining eight spots. Including teams that failed to qualify for official qualifying tournaments, 88 teams participated in the qualification process, bringing the total number of teams participating in the 2011 tournament to 100.
| Continental zone | 1987 |
1991 |
1995 |
1999 |
2003 |
2007 |
2011 |
2015 |
2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total spots in the World Cup | 16 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Africa | 1 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 15 | ||
| Americas | 3 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 18 | 19 | 19 | ||
| Asia | 1 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 11 | ||
| Oceania | 4 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 9 | |||
| Europe | 7 | 19 | 24 | 32 | 36 | 39 | 37 | ||
| Total entrants | 161 |
33 | 56 | 71 | 89 | 97 | 91 |
| Continental zone | 1987 |
1991 |
1995 |
1999 |
2003 |
2007 |
2011 |
2015 |
2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total spots in the World Cup | 16 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Africa | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Americas | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3+R3 | 2+R | 3 | 2 | ||
| Asia | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Oceania | 0 | 1 | 3+R | 2+R | 2+R | 1 | |||
| Europe | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3+R | 2+R | ||
| Total spots not including automatic qualifiers | 02 |
8 | 7 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 8 |
France, New Zealand and South Africa never needed to take part in the qualifying tournaments, always qualifying automatically.
Unlike recent tournaments (where all eight quarter-finalists from the previous tournament automatically qualified for the subsequent world cup) automatic qualification for the 2011 World Cup has been awarded to the twelve teams which finished in the top three of each of the 2007 World Cup groups (pools)[4].
Seven of the eight qualifying spots will be given out as follows: two spots each for Europe and Americas and one each for Asia, Africa and Oceania. The final spot will be determined by the winner of a playoff, that will include the third place teams from the American and European qualifying tournaments and the second place teams from the African and Asian qualifying tournaments.
The places for the 2007 World Cup were outlined as:
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There is one place available for African teams, and one place in the repechage. In the group rounds, there are three points awarded for a win, two for a draw, and one for a loss. Games are played on a home and away basis. There are no bonus points awarded. The African qualification is broken up into three rounds; Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3. The first phase of the tournament is Round 1a, where two groups of three teams play each other. The respective winners of the two groups play each other for a place in Round 1b. Round 1b consists again of two groups of three teams; the winner of both pools will enter Round 2. The runners-up of both pools play each other to enter Round 2 with the winners. Round 2 also consists of two groups of three teams, with the winners of each group qualifying for Round 3. Round 3 is a to game series between the respective group winners from Round 2. The winner qualifies for the World Cup, and the loser will enter a Repechage round.
There are three available places in the World Cup for Americas nations via qualification, as well as a potential fourth qualifier in the form of a Repechage. The Americas qualification tournament is broken up into four rounds; Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and Round 4. The first phase, Round 1a, is a competition for entry to Round 3b. It is contested between two pools of four Caribbean nations – with the pool winners playing in a playoff to reach round 3b. Round 1b is a group of four CONSUR 2nd Division nations – the winner progresses to Round 2. Round 2 is a three nation competition with the winner moving to Round 3a. The winner of the Round 3a competition of three nations progresses directly to the World Cup as Americas 1. The runner-up progresses to Round 4. The winner of the Round 3b competition of three nations progresses directly to the World Cup as Americas 2. The runner-up progresses to Round 4. Round 4 is a to match play-off consisting of the runners-up of each Round 3 tournaments. The winner progresses directly to the World Cup as Americas 3. The runner up progresses to Repechage round as Americas 4, to meet the winner of Africa 2 v Europe 4, for the first Repechage place in the World Cup.
The Asia qualification process is broken up into three rounds – Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3. There is one place for an Asia team in the World Cup, with a second potential place in the form of a Repechage. Three teams in Division 1 of Round 1a play each other once. All three teams go through to Round 2, the winner and runner up into Division 1 of Round 2 with third place into Division 2 of Round 2. Division 2 of Round 1a sees another three teams play each other once, the top two teams go through to Round 2, the winner entering Division 1 of Round 2and the runner up Division 2 of Round 2. Round 2 is broken up into two divisions of three nations, each nation plays each other once. The top two teams from Division 1 and top team from Division 2 go through to round 3. The winner of Round 3 will qualify directly to the World Cup as Asia 1. The runner-up will advance to the Repechage round as Asia 2, to play Oceania 3 for Repechage 2.
There are three places available for European teams, and one place in the repechage. The teams are 'ranked' according to their division in the European Nations Cup, taking into account the relegations and promotions at the end of the previous competition. The format is broken up into six rounds. Round 2 sees 20 nations broken up into four pools of five teams – each playing each other twice. The top two ranked nations of each pool will gain entry to Round 3, with the third placed nations of each pool entering a play-off, the top two ranked sides from the playoff enter round 3. Round 3 consists of 10 nations playing each other twice in two pools of five nations. Winners of each pool enter a play-off, with the play-off winner entering Round 4. The European Nations Cup, consisting of six nations will all gain a place in either Round 4 or 5. The top three nations enter Round 5, with the bottom three entering Round 4. Winners of Round 4 enter Round 5. Round 5 is broken up into two pools of three nations, the first placed nation of a pool qualifies for the World Cup (Europe 1 and Europe 2) while second placed sides of the Round 5 pools enter Round 6. Round 6 is a two game tournament which Europe 3 (World Cup entry) and Europe 4 (repechage).
There are two available positions in the World Cup of Oceanic nations, with a potential third in the form of a Repechage. the tournament is split up into four rounds. Round 1a sees three nations from the Oceania East region play each other once, the winner of the group will qualify for Round 2. Round 1b sees three nations from the Oceania West region play each other once, the winner of the group will also qualify for Round 2. Round 3 is a two match playoff between the winners of Round 1a and 1b. The winner moves to Round 4. Round 3 is a three nation tournament, teams play each other twice. The top two ranked nations will enter the World Cup as Oceania 1 and Oceania 2. The third ranked nation moves to Round 4. The winner of the two game Round 4 tournament advances to Repechage 2 where they meet Asia 1 for a World Cup place.
The first repechage is decided through two sets of two matches. The first set of matches is played between the Africa entry and the Europe entry. The winner of that round meets the Americas entry. The winner of those games gains entry to the World Cup as Repechage 1.
The second repechage place is contested between the Oceania entry and the Asia entry, who play each other on a home and away basis. The winner qualifies as Repechage 2.
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