Four teams on the last ticket: Kenya, the United States, Portugal and Hong Kong will compete from November 6-18 in Dubai in a tournament that gives the final qualifying spot for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
The three-stage tournament will see all teams compete: the country with the most points from Group C will qualify for the World Cup, along with Australia, Wales and Fiji.
The United States, which has participated in all but one of the World Cup finals (in South Africa in 1995), appears to be the favorite for the tournament.
But their mere presence remains a surprise, as the Americans lost their playoff in two games this summer against Chile, who won their first-ever World Cup qualifier.
Portugal, which only participated in the World Cup once in 2007 in France, relies heavily on players playing in France, especially in Pro D2, and looks like an overseas country.
The Kenyans, who were swept by Namibia (36-0) this summer in the African Cup final to get direct qualification, and Hong Kong, who lost their play-off against Tonga (44-22), never managed to win it. to qualify for the World Cup.
>> Also read: ‘We’re here for it’: Chambery’s Stevie Cerqueira and Portugal dream of the World Cup
