Chile's Rugby Growth and Challenges Under Coach Pablo Lemoine Ahead of 2027 World Cup
Pablo Lemoine, head coach of Chile's rugby team, has highlighted that rugby faces challenges even in established nations like Wales and calls for expansion into markets such as China, India, and Pakistan, alongside development and social-impact programs.
Chile was drawn in a pool with Australia and New Zealand for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which will feature pools of four teams. Chile aims to overcome Hong Kong, a team they narrowly lost to 22-17 in Talca last year.
The revised World Cup format allows four third-placed teams to qualify for the last 16, creating opportunities for Tier 2 nations like Chile. Lemoine notes that a single win in the pool stage already offers "half a chance," marking a significant improvement from the old format.
While realistic about their chances against rugby heavyweights, Lemoine emphasizes to his players the importance of being credible competitors rather than expecting to beat teams like New Zealand or Australia.
Mark Cross, Lemoine’s predecessor as Chile coach, praises Lemoine’s professional and high-performance approach, crediting him with changing the rugby landscape in Chile.
Lemoine, a 50-year-old former Uruguay prop and the first Uruguayan to play professionally in Europe (Bristol, 1998), draws from lessons learned under coach Bob Dwyer and leads with honesty and values of humility, respect, and ambition. Notably, he never earned money playing rugby in Uruguay.
Despite financial constraints, Lemoine reveals that Chile’s high-performance funding from World Rugby has remained unchanged for three years and is insufficient. He vows to continue fighting for resources amid pressures on development programs.
Chile’s training base is at Parque Mahuida in Santiago, located 1,000 meters above sea level. The team faces logistical challenges including fibre connectivity issues, often relying on satellite internet for communications.
