Samoa 13 Belgium 13
Samoa were made to work hard for their 13-13 draw, a result that saw the Pacific Islanders reach the Rugby World Cup in 2027 Credit: Getty Images/Christopher Pike
Samoa secured qualification for the World Cup 2027 but only did so by the skin of their teeth after drawing with Belgium 13-13 in the last match of the Final Qualification Tournament in Dubai, UAE, on Tuesday.
Belgium made Samoa work for their place. They were superbly dogged and deservedly stayed close throughout, just missing out on an inagural appearance at the sport’s showpiece tournament.
After two opening wins against Brazil and Namibia, Samoa needed a draw against Belgium to win the tournament and clinch the last qualification place available to complete the line-up of the next expanded edition of the World Cup.
Belgium led 6-3 with just over 15 minutes remaining, but Abraham Papali’i made a huge impact for Samoa off the bench and it was his try that ultimately saved the day.
The Black Devils made them sweat until the very end, scoring a try of their own, but Samoa have made a 10th straight World Cup … just.
A relieved Samoa captain Theo McFarland said afterwards: “It wasn’t all pretty today, but I’m just proud of the effort from the boys. The goal was to qualify for the World Cup and we managed to get the ticket.
“We spoke all week about giving Belgium respect and, credit to them, they stuck in it and gave it to us. It’s a draw, but we’ll take the ticket to the World Cup.
“It’s been a tough year. The whole week we spoke about trusting the process and backing each other up.”
Samoa’s triumph in the competition sees them become the 24th and final team to book their place at the tournament in Australia, adding to their proud Rugby World Cup history.
Australia 2027 will mark Samoa’s 10th appearance at rugby’s pinnacle competition, having featured in every tournament since 1991. Currently ranked 17th in the world rankings, Samoa will also turn their attention to the draw, set for next month on 3 December.
By qualifying for the 2027 World Cup, Samoa have also confirmed their participation in the new World Rugby Nations Cup that begins in 2026.