2011 Rugby World Cup qualifying
Encyclopedia
2011 Rugby World Cup qualifying
began at the 2007 tournament
in France, where twelve teams (the first three in each of the four pools) earned a place in the finals of the tournament, this automatically qualified them for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
in New Zealand.
After much speculation, it was confirmed on 30 November 2007 that 20 teams would contest the next edition of the tournament. The qualification system for the remaining eight places was region-based, with Europe and the Americas allocated two qualifying places, Africa, Asia and Oceania one place each, and the last place determined by a playoff.
With 86 teams participating (directly or indirectly) in regional qualifying competitions, and 12 teams qualifying automatically, 98 nations were involved in the process.
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} (Africa 1)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Americas 1)
} (Americas 2)
} (Asia 1)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Europe 1)
} (Europe 2)
} (Playoff winner)
} (Automatic qualifier/hosts)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Oceania 1)
and Romania
). On a home and away basis, Romania prevailed by winning 32–12 in Bucharest, preceded by a 21–21 draw in Montevideo. It will compete in Pool B.
Both nations had won semi-finals. Those were conducted as single matches, with the European and African qualifiers drawn into one semi-final and the Asian and Americas qualifiers drawn into the other. Romania beat Tunisia 56–13 and Uruguay had the upper hand over Kazakhstan winning 44–7. Both matches were hosted by the team with the higher IRB World Ranking
when the two teams to play became known.
Rugby World Cup qualification
Rugby World Cup qualification is a process that determines which nations will compete at a Rugby World Cup.Unlike previous tournaments the 2011 World Cup will be contested by twelve automatic qualifiers / seeds Rugby World Cup qualification is a process that determines which nations will compete...
began at the 2007 tournament
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
in France, where twelve teams (the first three in each of the four pools) earned a place in the finals of the tournament, this automatically qualified them for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
in New Zealand.
After much speculation, it was confirmed on 30 November 2007 that 20 teams would contest the next edition of the tournament. The qualification system for the remaining eight places was region-based, with Europe and the Americas allocated two qualifying places, Africa, Asia and Oceania one place each, and the last place determined by a playoff.
With 86 teams participating (directly or indirectly) in regional qualifying competitions, and 12 teams qualifying automatically, 98 nations were involved in the process.
Qualified teams
- Africa
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Africa 1)
- Americas
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Americas 1)
} (Americas 2)
- Asia
} (Asia 1)
- Europe
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Europe 1)
} (Europe 2)
} (Playoff winner)
- Oceania
} (Automatic qualifier/hosts)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Automatic qualifier)
} (Oceania 1)
Regional qualifiers
Eight nations qualified from regional competitions: seven qualified directly through their region, and the eighth from a four-nation play-off for the final spot.| Region | Direct qualifiers | Qualified teams | World Cup pools | Play-off team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 1 | D | ||
| Americas | 2 | |
A C |
|
| Asia | 1 | A | ||
| Europe | 2 | |
B C |
|
| Oceania | 1 | D | None |
Final place play-off
The twentieth place at the 2011 tournament was determined by a final place play-off which involved the third-place teams from the American and European qualifying tournaments (UruguayUruguay national rugby union team
The Uruguay national rugby union team is the representative side of Uruguay, governed by the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay. They have been playing international rugby since 1948. Their jersey is blue and black and they are known as Los Teros. They qualified twice for the Rugby World Cup, in 1999 and...
and Romania
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
). On a home and away basis, Romania prevailed by winning 32–12 in Bucharest, preceded by a 21–21 draw in Montevideo. It will compete in Pool B.
Both nations had won semi-finals. Those were conducted as single matches, with the European and African qualifiers drawn into one semi-final and the Asian and Americas qualifiers drawn into the other. Romania beat Tunisia 56–13 and Uruguay had the upper hand over Kazakhstan winning 44–7. Both matches were hosted by the team with the higher IRB World Ranking
IRB World Rankings
The IRB World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in rugby union, managed by the International Rugby Board , the sport's governing body. The teams of the IRB's member nations are ranked based on their game results, with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
when the two teams to play became known.