RWC 2027 will feature 24 teams, the first expansion since 1999 when the tournament went to 20 teams from the original 16. Insiders say that Europe will get four automatic places rather than three, while Asia looks set for one guaranteed place in addition to Japan.
At present, the combined results over a twoyear period of the Rugby Europe Championship determine the three automatic qualifiers from Europe, with the fourth entering the global repechage.
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