Wales have risen to 11th in the World Rugby rankings despite a humiliating 43-0 defeat to South Africa in Durban. The result marked the first time Wales have been kept scoreless by the Springboks, ending their summer tour on a disappointing note in the Nations Championship.
How Wales climbed despite defeat
Wales started the weekend in 12th place but will move up one spot when the rankings are officially updated on Monday. The rise is due to Italy's heavy 57-10 loss to Australia in Perth, which saw the Azzurri drop from 10th to 12th. Italy's fall follows consecutive defeats to Japan and New Zealand, undoing their Six Nations progress where they beat Scotland and England.
Italy now sit at their lowest ranking since the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Wales, who did not lose any ranking points in their defeat to South Africa, are not the only beneficiaries. Japan moved up from 11th to 10th, returning to the top 10 for the first time in nearly three years.
Top 10 unchanged but South Africa's lead trimmed
There was no change in the top 10 after this weekend's results, although South Africa's lead at the summit was slightly reduced following New Zealand's win over Ireland. Wales remain 5.23 points behind eighth-placed Australia, despite former captain Sam Warburton stating that breaking into the top eight should be their short-term target.
Current World Rugby rankings
1. South Africa – 93.96
2. New Zealand – 92.28
3. Ireland – 88.08
4. France – 87.43
5. England – 85.68
6. Scotland – 84.78
7. Argentina – 83.13
8. Australia – 81.61
9. Fiji – 78.00
10. Japan – 76.42 (+1)
11. Wales – 76.38 (+1)
12. Italy – 76.30 (-2)
13. Georgia – 73.94
14. USA – 70.22
15. Portugal – 69.39
16. Chile – 66.94 (+2)
17. Spain – 66.83 (-1)
18. Uruguay – 65.75 (-1)
19. Tonga – 65.14 (+1)
20. Samoa – 64.73
21. Romania – 62.45 (+1)
22. Belgium – 61.03 (+1)
23. Hong Kong China – 60.74 (+1)
24. Canada – 60.37 (-1)
25. Zimbabwe – 57.68
