The qualifying process for the 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup for African teams began in July 2024, with 16 teams competing for one qualification spot (Africa 1) into the final tournament and one spot in a play-off match (Africa 2).
The African qualifying process concluded in July 2025, with Zimbabwe qualifying for the World Cup as Africa 1, which saw the Sables return to the World Cup for the first time since 1991.
Format The Rugby Africa Cup, governed by Rugby Africa, was the regional qualification tournament for Rugby World Cup 2027, with the top two divisions in the region acting as the process.
Qualification took place over three rounds;
Round 1 was the 2024 Rugby Africa Cup, where the top eight African nations (excluding South Africa) played in a straight knock-out format to determine seedings (1–7) for the third round of the qualification process. The bottom placed side at the end of the first round, was eliminated from qualification.
Round 2 was a repechage round between the eight development African nations, which saw the winner progress to the third round of the regional qualification as eighth seed replacing the eliminated team from round 1.
Round 3 was the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup, where the eight competing teams faced each other in a straight knock-out format based on their seedings in 2024; 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5. The winner of this round qualified for the Rugby World Cup as Africa 1, whilst the runner-up advanced to a play-off match against Asia 2 to decide who progresses to the Final Qualification Tournament.
Entrants Eight teams competed during the Africa qualifiers for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, with South Africa the only team qualified from the Region prior to the qualification process.
(Rankings as of first qualification match in this region)
Nation Rank Began play Qualifying status 59 20 July 2024 Eliminated by Namibia on 13 July 2025 77 20 November 2024 Eliminated by Morocco on 20 November 2024 92 20 July 2024 Eliminated by Ivory Coast on 28 July 2024 108 20 November 2024 Eliminated by Madagascar on 20 November 2024 87 18 December 2024 Eliminated by Zambia on 18 December 2024 62 20 July 2024 Eliminated by Algeria on 8 July 2025 34 20 July 2024 Eliminated by Zimbabwe on 13 July 2025 39 20 November 2024 Eliminated by Zimbabwe on 8 July 2025 48 20 November 2024 Eliminated by Morocco on 24 November 2024 26 20 July 2024 Advances to Asia / Africa play-off as Africa 2 on 19 July 2025 69 18 December 2024 Eliminated by Tunisia on 18 December 2024 56 20 July 2024 Eliminated by Namibia on 8 July 2025 1 N/A Qualified with Top 12 finish at 2023 World Cup 46 18 December 2024 Eliminated by Morocco on 9 February 2025 43 20 July 2024 Eliminated by Kenya on 8 July 2025 68 18 December 2024 Eliminated by Tunisia on 22 December 2024 27 20 July 2024 Qualified as Africa 1 on 19 July 2025
Round 1: 2024 Rugby Africa Cup The first round was a straight knock-out tournament held from 20 to 28 July 2024 in Kampala, Uganda.
Burkina Faso finished bottom and were therefore eliminated, whilst the remaining seven teams advancing to the third round.
Bracket
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Third place match
Final
Ranking matches
Semi-finals
5th/6th play-off
Relegation play-off
Final standings Pos.TeamNotes12345678Eliminated
Round 2: 2024 Rugby Africa Repechage Pool A Pool A was a knock-out tournament held between the 18–22 December 2024 in Jemmal, Tunisia.
Tunisia won the pool and advanced to the Repechage Final, whilst Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia were eliminated.
Semi-finals
Third place match
Final
Pool B Pool B was a knock-out tournament held between the 20–24 November 2024 in Casablanca, Morocco.
Morocco won the pool and advanced to the Repechage Final, whilst Botswana, Cameroon and Madagascar were eliminated.
Semi-finals
Third place match
Final
Repechage Final Morocco won the repechage match to progress to the third round, whilst Tunisia were eliminated.
Round 3: 2025 Rugby Africa Cup
The third round saw a straight knockout format based on final positions in the first round, with the winner qualifying for the World Cup as Africa 1, whilst the runner-up (Africa 2) progressed to an Asia / Africa play-off match against Asia 2 (United Arab Emirates) to decide who plays in the Final Qualification Tournament.
Like the first round, Kampala, Uganda hosted the tournament between 8 and 19 July 2025.
Zimbabwe won the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup to qualify for the World Cup, whilst runners-up Namibia advanced to the cross-regional play-offs. Algeria, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal and Uganda were eliminated.
Bracket
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Third place match
Final: Africa 1 play-off
Team details FB 15Cliven LoubserRW 14Jay-Cee NelOC 13Le Roux MalanIC 12Danco BurgerLW 11Jurgen MeyerFH 10André van den Berg SH 9 Jacques Theron N8 8 Richard HardwickOF 7 Wian Conradie BF 6 Prince ǃGaoseb (c) RL 5 Tiaan de KlerkLL 4 Adriaan Ludick TP 3 Aranos Coetzee HK 2 Louis van der Westhuizen LP 1 Otja Auala Replacements:HK 16Armand Combrinck PR 17Jason Benade PR 18Haitembu Shikufa LK 19Johan Retief FL 20Max Katjijeko SH 21AJ Kearns FH 22Tiaan Swanepoel FL 23Adriaan Booysen Coach: Jacques Burger FB 15Tapiwa MafuraRW 14Matthew McNabOC 13Brandon MudzekenyedziIC 12Kudzai Mashawi LW 11Edward Sigauke FH 10Ian PriorSH 9 Hilton Mudariki (c) N8 8 Jason Fraser OF 7 Dylan Utete BF 6 Tinotenda MavesereRL 5 Simba SirahaLL 4 Godfrey MuzanargwoTP 3 Cleopas Kundiona HK 2 Simba Mandioma LP 1 Victor Mupunga Replacements:HK 16Liam Larkan PR 17Tyran Fagan PR 18Bornwell Gwinji LK 19Tadiwanashe GwashuFL 20Aiden Burnett SH 21Keegan Joubert CE 22Dion Khumalo FH 23Bruce Houston Coach: Piet Bienade Assistant referees: Sylvain Mane (Senegal) Ronald Wutimber (Uganda)
Ranking matches
Semi-finals
5th/6th play-off
7th/8th play-off
Final standings Pos.TeamQualificationQualified for the 2027 Men's Rugby World CupQualified for the 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup – Regional play-offEliminated4Eliminated5Eliminated6Eliminated7Eliminated8Eliminated
See also 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup
References