As the Dec. 3 draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup draw closes in, teams are putting on their best showings trying to give themselves an easier time making it through the gauntlet in Australia in 2027.

The top six teams, including South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, England, France and Argentina, all are trying to lock in the top seed, while the Wallabies and Scotland try to edge their way up with statement wins in the Autumn Nations Series.

• Subscribe To FloRugby To Watch Top 14, URC, and PREM Rugby All Season Long
• All Blacks Defeat Ireland 26-13 At Soldier Field After Early Red-Card Drama
  
• South Africa Springboks Steamroll Japan, 61-7, in Wembley Stadium Rout
• The 100 Best Rugby Players In The World: The Full List

Ireland and England both are expected to take wins over Japan and Fiji this weekend, but the following weekend will hold much more consequential results. 

England and the All Blacks face off at Twickenham, while the Wallabies head to Aviva Stadium to face the Irish.

FloRugby has all of the latest World Rugby coverage, including live updates, expert analysis and highlights.

World Rugby Rankings: England Closes In On Ireland (Nov. 3)

See the official rankings on World.Rugby here.

1. South Africa — 92.20
2. New Zealand — 91.00
3. Ireland — 88.85
4. England — 88.04
5. France — 87.82
6. Argentina — 83.82
7. Australia — 82.90
8. Scotland — 81.57
9. Fiji — 81.16
10. Italy — 77.77
11. Georgia — 74.69
12. Wales — 74.05
13. Japan — 73.25
14. Spain — 69.12
15. USA — 67.40
16. Samoa — 66.94
17. Chile — 66.72
18. Tonga — 66.66
19. Uruguay — 66.59
20. Portugal — 66.44
21. Romania — 62.67
22. Belgium — 61.20
23. Hong Kong China — 59.98
24. Canada — 59.20
25. Zimbabwe — 58.80
26. Netherlands — 57.01
27. Namibia — 56.97
28. Switzerland — 55.26
29. Poland — 54.36
30. Sweden — 53.05

How The Rugby World Rankings Work

Read the full explanation on World.Rugby here.

Calculation

Men’s and Women's World Rugby Rankings are calculated using a 'Points Exchange' system, where sides gain or lose points based on the match result. 

Other criteria include the relative strength of each team, the margin of victory and an allowance for home advantage.

Member Unions

All member countries have a rating, typically between 0 and 100. The top side in the world normally will have a rating above 90. Any match that is not a full international between two member countries does not count at all.

RWC Ranking

Points are doubled during the World Cup Finals to recognize the importance of this event, but all other international matches, friendly or competitive, are treated the same across the world.

Autumn Nations Series Rugby Schedule 2025

Week 1 - Nov. 1

• England 25 - 7 Australia
• South Africa 61 - 7 Japan
• Scotland 85 - 0 USA
• Ireland 13 - 26 New Zealand

Week 2 - Nov. 8-9

• Ireland vs. Japan
• Scotland vs. New Zealand
• England vs. Fiji
• Italy vs. Australia
• France vs. South Africa
• Wales vs. Argentina

Week 3 - Nov. 15-16

• Italy vs. South Africa
• England vs. New Zealand
• Wales vs. Japan
• France vs. Fiji
• Ireland vs. Australia
• Scotland vs. Argentina

Week 4 - Nov. 22-23

• Wales vs. New Zealand
• Ireland vs. South Africa
• France vs. Australia
• Italy vs. Chile
• Scotland vs. Tonga
• England vs. Argentina

Week 5 - Nov. 29

• Wales vs. South Africa

How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby

Professional club rugby in Europe all streams on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to: 

• United Rugby Championship
• PREM Rugby
• Top 14
• Investec Champions Cup
• EPCR Challenge Cup
• Currie Cup
• Super Rugby
• And more

FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays. 

Join The Rugby Conversation On FloRugby Social

• Follow us on Twitter @florugby
• Follow us on Instagram @florugby
• Watch us on YouTube
• Like us on Facebook