World Rugby Men's Rankings preview: 25 October, 2025

World Rugby has published the ranking permutations for the Japan v Australia match in Tokyo and the weekend's other matches in the Rugby Europe Men's Trophy 2025-26 and Conference 2025-26. 

Permutation highlights:

• Australia will drop one place to eighth, swapping places with Scotland, if they are beaten by Japan. They will fall another place, below Fiji, if the margin is more than 15 points.
• The Wallabies cannot move into the first band of seeds for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 Draw this weekend as a place in the top six is beyond them, even if they win by more than 15 points.
• Japan will remain in 13th place even if they suffer a heavy defeat in Tokyo.
• However, if Japan avoid defeat they will move into the second band of seeds for the RWC 2027 Draw. A win lifts them to 11th, while a draw would see them climb one place to 12th.
• Having equalled their highest position of 30th after back-to-back defeats cost Brazil ground in the rankings, Sweden will be looking to solidify their position this weekend.
• However, Sweden can only reach a new high if they begin their Rugby Europe Men’s Trophy 2025-26 campaign with a win against Croatia and defending champions Poland slip up against Lithuania. A one-place climb to 29th is the most they can hope to achieve.
• If Sweden fail to win at home, then they will slip below RWC 2027 Final Qualification Tournament participants, Paraguay. The South American side can equal their all-time high of 29th if Lithuania also beat Poland by more than 15 points.
• Poland are unable to improve on 29th place as an emphatic victory will still leave them behind Switzerland.
• Multiple places can be gained by both Lithuania and Croatia if they can spring a surprise and beat higher-ranked opponents.
• Latvia could climb the rankings by as many as five places if they win away to Finland. However, defeat could see them fall as many as nine places to 72nd.
• Meanwhile, a win by more than 15 points would send Finland to their highest-ever position of 69th, having gained six places.
• The Conference match between Serbia and Slovakia will not count towards the rankings as the latter are not a full member union of World Rugby.

Match official highlights:

• Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand) will referee Japan v Australia for the first time. He has already refereed the Wallabies twice in 2025, a loss to the British and Irish Lions and victory over South Africa in The Rugby Championship opener. This will be the first time he referees Japan since Rugby World Cup 2019.