2019 Rugby World Cup – play-off qualifications

For the 2019 Rugby World Cup, there are multiple play-off matches during the qualification process, all of which dictate which nations will compete in the Repechage.

Format

Europe/Oceania

The first qualification play-off, will be a home and away series between Europe 2 and Oceania 3. Europe 2, Germany, was the winner of Round 6 of the European qualification process, while Oceania 3, Samoa, was the third best team of Round 1 of the Oceania qualification process. The winner of this home and away play-off on aggregate, will qualify to the World Cup as the play-off winner. The loser will gain another chance via the World Repechage.

Asia/Oceania

The second qualification play-off, will be a home and away series between Asia 1 and Oceania 4. Asia 1 will be the winner of Round 3 of the Asian qualification process, while Oceania 4 is Cook Islands. The Cook Islands have advanced to the next stage of qualifying for the 2019 Rugby World Cup after Tahiti, the winner of Round 2 of the Oceania qualification process, were found to have breached player eligibility regulations in their Oceania Cup clash last year.[1] The winner of this home and away play-off on aggregate, will qualify for a place in the World Repechage, while the loser misses out on World Cup qualification.

Repechage

The Rugby World Cup 2019 Repechage tournament will be hosted at the neutral venue of France. In previous years the Repechage, a last-chance opportunity to qualify for RWC 2019, has followed a knock-out format in line with the rest of the qualification process. This year’s edition, however, will be a round-robin tournament between four teams to be held during the November test window. Specific dates and locations are to be confirmed. Africa and the Americas are guaranteed a repechage place, with the runner-up of the African qualification round 3 (Africa 2) and the losing side of the Americas Repechage play-off gaining positions. The final two places will be decided through the above cross-regional play-offs, with the loser of the Europe/Oceania play-off (Europe 2 or Oceania 3) getting another shot at qualification in the repechage, and the winner of the Asia/Oceania play-off for repechage, advancing to the repechage, with no direct place for an Asian team or the lower ranked teams in Oceania. The winner of the World Repechage, will qualify for the World Cup as the play-off winner (or Repechage 2).

Teams

NationRank[2]Begins playQualifying status
 Samoa1730 June 2018Qualified on 14 July 2018
 Germany2930 June 2018
 Cook Islands5430 June 2018Eliminated by Hong Kong on 7 July 2018
 Hong Kong2130 June 2018
 Kenya2811 November 2018
 Canada2211 November 2018

Cross-Regional play-offs

Europe/Oceania play-off

The winner of this home and away play-off series qualified for the World Cup as Play-off winner; the loser progressed to the Repechage. Samoa played Germany, the winner of the European Round Six play-off against Portugal, and won 108-43 on aggregate.

30 June 2018
15:10 (UTC+13:00)
Samoa  66–15  Germany
Try: Leiua 9' c
Matavao (2) 12' c, 60' c
J. Lam 23' c
Fidow (3) 28' c, 36' c, 79' m
Penalty try 51'
Tekori 71' c
Polataivao 73' m
Con: Tuala (5/5) 10', 13', 24', 29', 37'
Fa'apale (2/4) 62', 72'
 Report Try: Otto (2) 58' m, 66' c
Con: Parkinson (1/2) 67'
Pen: Parkinson (1/1) 11'
Apia Park, Apia
Attendance: 6,100
Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
14 July 2018
16:00 (UTC+2:00)
Germany  28–42  Samoa
Try: Otto 8' c
Fuchsel 17' m
Els 49' c
Con: Parkinson (1/2) 9'
Hilsenbeck (1/1) 50'
Pen: Hilsenbeck (2/2) 40', 64'
Coetzee (1/2) 66'
 Report Try: Fidow (2) 1' c, 75' c
Matavao (2) 35' c, 46' c
Tuala (2) 69' c, 79' c
Con: Tuala (6/6) 2', 36', 47', 70', 76'. 80'

Asia/Oceania play-off for repechage

The winner of this home and away play-off, Hong Kong, earned the right to compete in the Repechage after winning the series 77-3 on aggregate.

30 June 2018
15:00 CKT (UTC-10)
Cook Islands  3–26  Hong Kong
Pen: G. Mullany (1/1) 18'
 Report Try: Lamboley 3' m
Slatem 12' m
Hartley 29' m
Woodward 70' m
Pen: Rosslee (2/2) 41', 53'
Avarua Tereora Stadium, Rarotonga
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
7 July 2018
16:30 HKT (UTC+08)
Hong Kong  51–0  Cook Islands
Try: Yiu 11' c
Woodward 26' c
Hood 54' c
Post (2) 57' c, 67' c
Penalty try 64'
Con: Rosslee (5/5) 12', 27', 55', 58', 69'
Pen: Rosslee (2/2) 22', 46'
Drop: Rimene (1/1) 65'
 Report

Repechage

On 12 July 2018, World Rugby announced that the repechage tournament would be hosted at the neutral venue of the Pierre-Delort Stadium in Marseille, France.[3]

Teams

Region Team Progression Date
Africa  Kenya 18 August 2018
Americas  Canada 3 February 2018
Europe  Germany 14 July 2018
Asia  Hong Kong 7 July 2018

Table

Qualifies as Repechage Winner
Place Nation Games Points Bonus
points		 Table
points
played won drawn lost for against difference
1 Canada000000+000
2 Germany000000+000
3 Hong Kong000000+000
4 Kenya000000+000
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win – 4 points
Draw – 2 points
4 or more tries – 1 point
Loss within 7 points – 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points

Fixtures

Round 1

11 November 2018
14:00 CET (UTC+01)
Hong Kong  v  Germany
Pierre-Delort Stadium, Marseille
Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (France)
11 November 2018
16:30 CET (UTC+01)
Canada  v  Kenya
Pierre-Delort Stadium, Marseille
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

Round 2

17 November 2018
14:00 CET (UTC+01)
Hong Kong  v  Kenya
Pierre-Delort Stadium, Marseille
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
17 November 2018
16:30 CET (UTC+01)
Canada  v  Germany
Pierre-Delort Stadium, Marseille
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)

Round 3

23 November 2018
18:00 CET (UTC+01)
Kenya  v  Germany
Pierre-Delort Stadium, Marseille
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
23 November 2018
20:30 CET (UTC+01)
Hong Kong  v  Canada
Pierre-Delort Stadium, Marseille
Referee: Romain Poite (France)

References

  1. ↑ https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/rugby/tahiti-booted-rwc-qualifiers
  2. ↑ https://www.worldrugby.org/rankings/mru
  3. ↑ France to host decisive repechage tournament for Rugby World Cup 2019
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