'This is a difficult moment': Paraguay pulls out of RWC 2027 race

NEWS: There has been a big change to the Final Qualification Tournament for World Cup 2027.

On Friday, World Rugby confirmed that Brazil will replace Paraguay at the tournament 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 welcomed 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.”

World Rugby has reiterated that unions and competition owners are responsible for conducting thorough eligibility checks.

To support this process, the “Player Eligibility Checker” is available on the World Rugby Passport website, enabling unions to easily verify a player’s eligibility.