World Rankings: How the All Blacks can overtake Boks at the top
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SPOTLIGHT: World Rugby has published the ranking permutations for this weekend’s opening rounds of the Nations Championship 2026 and World Rugby Nations Cup 2026.
Permutation highlights:
- South Africa will surrender top spot if they lose by more than 15 points against England and New Zealand beat France by the same margin.
- Ireland and France can both end the weekend in second place depending on the victory margins.
- Fifth is possible for Argentina, Australia and Scotland, while Fiji could go as high as seventh if they beat Wales by more than 15 points.
- Japan will swap places with a beaten Wales if they are victorious against Italy in Tokyo.
- Uruguay will reach a new high of 13th if they beat Georgia by more than 15 points in the Nations Cup.
- Both Spain and USA could drop as many as three places if beaten by Canada and Portugal, respectively.
- Chile could also reach a new high with victory over Romania, for whom defeat could result in a new low of 25th.
- A new high is also possible for Zimbabwe if they can beat Tonga.
Continues below…
Match official highlights:
- Luke Pearce (England) takes charge of New Zealand v France for the second time, having overseen the All Blacks’ 52-11 victory at Eden Park in June 2018. France are on a six-match winning run with Pearce in the middle since that loss.
- Nic Berry (Australia) will referee Japan v Italy for the second time, the Brave Blossoms having run out 34-17 winners in Kobe in June 2018. It will be the Australian’s first test of the year.
- Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) takes charge of Australia v Ireland for the second time but first since the Irish secured a narrow 13-10 victory in the Autumn Nations Series in November 2021.
- Eoghan Cross (Ireland) will referee Wales – and a Men’s Six Nations team – for the first time when they take on Fiji in Cardiff. Fiji won their only previous test with Cross in the middle, beating Canada 63-10 in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2025 semifinals.
- James Doleman (New Zealand) takes charge of South Africa v England for the first time with the Springboks yet to lose with the New Zealand official in the middle.
- Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) will referee Argentina v Scotland for the first time, although he has already refereed the visitors once this year in their 31-20 defeat of England in the Men’s Six Nations.
- Craig Evans (Wales) takes charge of Uruguay v Georgia in the World Rugby Nations Cup for the first time. It will be his second time refereeing Los Teros at the Estadio Charrua, having overseen Uruguay’s 70-8 victory over Romania last year.
- Angus Mabey (New Zealand) will referee both Samoa and Hong Kong China for the first time in what is his fifth test in the middle.
- Damián Schneider (Argentina) takes charge of Chile v Romania for the first time, two teams he has not refereed since 2019.
- Ben Breakspear (Wales) will referee Tonga and Zimbabwe for the first time when they meet in Denver, Colorado, the Welshman taking charge of his first test featuring two teams from outside of Europe.
- Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy) takes charge of USA and Portugal for the first time. He has refereed both teams before, USA beating Canada in Los Angeles in 2024 and Portugal losing to Georgia in the Rugby Europe Men’s Championship in 2021.
- Tomás Bertazza (Argentina) referees both Canada and Spain for the first time, with Los Leones, the first team inside the top 20 of the World Rugby Men’s Rankings he will officiate.
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