Samoa secure World Cup 2027 spot after dramatic draw

Samoa qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup despite drawing 13-13 with Belgium in the Final Qualification Tournament held in Dubai.

The draw was enough to seal their place as the 24th team in Australia 2027.

The achievement ensures Samoa will appear at their 10th consecutive World Cup, extending a lineup that dates back to 1991.

Belgium pushed Samoa hard and looked set to earn a historic first World Cup appearance. However, they came up just short after failing to convert scoring opportunities late in the match.

Captain Theo McFarland described the result as a relief and praised his team’s perseverance after a challenging qualification process. Samoa return to the global stage with renewed determination to not just participate—but to compete.

“It's very pleasing and if I'm being honest, I’m relieved,” said McFarland, who plays for Saracens in the English Premiership.

“I'll just say that it's been a tough year for us. We have had a lot of challenges to get to this point.

“And fair play to Belgium. They really gave it to us, but I'm really proud of the efforts of the boys, and the fight that they were putting in for the whole 80 minutes.

“It was a draw, but we managed to get the ticket to the World Cup, and we're only going to go upwards from here".