Chile’s golden generation have continued to reach new heights since their maiden Rugby World Cup at France 2023, having recently broken into the top 20 in the world rankings.
The South Americans have been dealt a difficult hand, with heavyweights New Zealand and Australia in their pool, alongside newcomers Hong Kong China.
With the bulk of their squad drawn from Super Rugby Americas franchise Selknam, the team has established combinations to rely on.
In 2023, they struggled with the intensity of elite-level rugby, but will hope recent fixtures against the likes of Scotland and Samoa will help ensure they are better prepared this time around.
Players to watch
Martín Sigren
The combative back-row became the first Chilean to play professionally in England when he joined Doncaster Knights in 2022 and captained his country at their first RWC in 2023. Has more history in his sights, with the pool fixture against Hong Kong China a perfect opportunity to notch their first Rugby World Cup win. Having been out for a year with a knee injury, Sigren is due to return in time to lead his side in the inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup in July.
Diego Escobar
The all-action hooker is one of the few players plying his trade abroad, having joined Top 14 side Racing 92 in 2024. Escobar was still establishing himself in the side in 2023, but has become an integral part of the team since and taken his game to the next level since his move to France.
Nicolás Saab
The versatile 21-year-old back has been a revelation since he broke into the national team in 2024, and scored high profile tries against Samoa and Italy in 2025. Equally comfortable at centre and on the wing, Saab is electric with ball in hand and offers Los Cóndores an extra attacking edge they didn’t possess in 2023.
RWC icon
Having made his debut for the national team in 2012, José Ignacio Larenas would be forgiven for thinking his Rugby World Cup dream might never come true. Already his country’s most-capped player and record try scorer, he finally reached a Rugby World Cup in 2023, featuring in three of Chile’s pool games.
The team’s appearance in France sparked an unprecedented growth in Chilean rugby, which allowed Larenas the perfect farewell to the sport. The veteran centre’s final Test came against Scotland at the Estadio Nacional in July 2024, in front of a record crowd.
RWC cult hero
Chile may never have made it to RWC 2023 if it wasn’t for Rodrigo Fernández. The mercurial fly-half scored the 2022 International Rugby Players (IRP) Men's Try of the Year in their nail-biting qualification match against the USA.
Having helped get the team to France, Fernández was pivotal at the tournament itself, scoring his nation’s first-ever Rugby World Cup try against Japan. Fernández will be 31 in Australia and looks well placed to add to his legendary status within the Chilean rugby community.
Head coach
Uruguayan Pablo Lemoine has already announced he will step down after the 2027 tournament but the former prop will want to add to his legacy before he steps away.
Having taken over in 2018, Lemoine has utterly transformed Chile’s fortunes on the pitch and its infrastructure off it. His tenure has seen the team qualify for successive Rugby World Cups, while playing an attractive brand of rugby that has seen Chilean players win the IRP Men's Try of the Year award twice in the last four years.
Most memorable match
Chile’s first ever Rugby World Cup match may have ended in a 42-12 defeat by Japan, but the team performed admirably.
The South Americans even led when Rodrigo Fernández reacted fastest to a loose ball and dotted down after six minutes. Alfonso Escobar’s score meant they trailed by just nine points with over 50 minutes played, before Japan pulled away.
Pool journey
9 October v Hong Kong China (Townsville│Gurambilbarra)
16 October v Australia (Brisbane│Meeanjin)
If they are able to qualify as one of the four best third-placed teams, Chile could well play neighbours Argentina in the Round of 16.
Did you know...?
Chile is one of the world’s longest countries but, despite its 4,300km length, it is only 180km wide on average. Its remarkable length also means it has an incredibly diverse climate, with glaciers in the south and the world’s driest desert in the north.
The country’s capital, Santiago, is nestled in the foothills of the largest mountain range on Earth, the Andes. Chile is known for its high-quality wine production, and is particularly renowned for its Carménère.
RWC history
Chile were not involved in the inaugural 1987 tournament, which was by invitation only, and did not enter in 1991. Their first attempt came in 1995 via the Americas qualifying process, in which they also participated in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 without success.
But in 2023 they beat Canada 54-46 on aggregate in an Americas 2 play-off before emerging victorious by a single point ─ 52-51 on aggregate ─ against USA in the Americas 2 qualifier, overturning a 22-21 home loss to win 31-29 in the return leg.
At the 2023 tournament in France, they lost all four pool games but drew widespread praise for their attacking style of play.
Key stat
Only New Zealand (30.3) and Fiji (23.8) have a higher rate of defenders beaten per game in Men's Rugby World Cup history than Chile, who averaged 23.0 defenders beaten per game during their inaugural appearance in 2023.
How they qualified
Chile qualified in dramatic fashion for their second successive Rugby World Cup, having missed out on the direct South American spot to Uruguay. That defeat meant they had to face Rugby World Cup regulars Samoa over two legs in the South America/Pacific play-off.
Having squandered a lead to draw 31-31 in the first game, Chile qualified with a 31-12 victory in the return fixture, which was played in front of over 20,000 fans in Viña del Mar.
RWC Fast Facts
- RWC debut: 2023
- RWC best finish: Fifth in pool (2023)
- Most RWC appearances: 12 players (all 4)
- Top RWC try scorer: Rodrigo Fernández, Alfonso Escobar, Matias Dittus, Tomás Dussaillant (1)
- Top RWC points scorer: Rodrigo Fernández, Alfonso Escobar, Matias Dittus, Tomás Dussaillant (5)
