World Rugby Men's Rankings preview: 30 August, 2025

World Rugby has published the ranking permutations for matches in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2025 and Sudaméricano 2025 this weekend. 

Permutation highlights:

• Fiji and Japan, the two hosts for this weekend’s Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2025 matches, cannot improve their rating with victory due to the points difference between them and their opponents before home weighting is factored in.
• The Flying Fijians host Tonga who, despite their win over Samoa in round one, are eight places and 13.63 rating points below them.
• The gulf between Japan and Canada is similar with the Brave Blossoms’ rating 12.77 points higher than the side ranked 11 places below them.
• Fresh from upsetting the USA in Calgary, Canada travel to Japan hoping to take another scalp and further improve their position in the rankings.
• A win will lift Steve Meehan’s team above both Belgium and Hong Kong China and into 22nd place.
• Tonga can add at least two points to their rating if they can guarantee top spot in Pool A by upsetting Fiji in Suva, enough to lift them a place to 16th so long as Uruguay don’t beat Chile by more than 15 points in the first leg of the Sudaméricano 2025 final.
• If Los Teros do win by that margin then Tonga must match it to climb from 17th with this scenario enough to also lift the ‘Ikale Tahi above Spain.
• Tonga can still climb a place in defeat if Uruguay also lose to hosts Chile in Santiago.
• Fiji can only fall from ninth if they lose by more than 15 points to drop below Italy.
• Uruguay cannot pick up enough points in victory to improve on 16th place this weekend, but they could close to within 0.20 of Los Leones if they beat Chile by more than 15 points.
• This scenario would cost Chile their place in the top 20 with Romania replacing them.
• A win by this margin will not come with any positional gain for Chile, but it would see them close to only 0.48 behind Uruguay, who would fall three places to 19th – their lowest position for three years.