Wales have slipped to 12th in World Rugby's men's rankings following their 35-21 loss to Argentina in San Juan on Saturday. The defeat cost them 0.29 ranking points, allowing Japan to leapfrog them into 11th place despite Japan's own loss to Ireland. Japan now sits just 0.04 points ahead of Wales.
Wales Out of Top 10 Since July 2024
Wales have not been inside the top 10 since July 2024 and are currently 0.93 points behind 10th-placed Italy. They fell as low as 14th last summer. The team had briefly risen to 11th after beating Fiji in the opening round of the Nations Championship, but the defeat in Argentina reversed those gains.
England Rise to Fifth After Dominant Win
England climbed to fifth in the rankings after a 73-8 demolition of Fiji in Liverpool. Steve Borthwick's side overtook Scotland, who dropped to sixth following a 42-28 defeat to South Africa in Pretoria. The Springboks increased their lead at the top by 0.02 points, with New Zealand, Ireland, and France completing the top four.
Other Movements in the Top 20
Argentina remained seventh but gained 0.29 points from their win over Wales. Australia stayed eighth after losing 42-26 at home to France, dropping 0.68 points. Fiji held ninth but lost 0.84 points. There were no other changes in the top 10. In the lower tiers, Georgia, USA, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, Chile, Samoa, and Tonga all held their positions, though Uruguay, Chile, Samoa, and Tonga each dropped one place due to ranking adjustments.
Latest World Rugby Men's Rankings
- 1 South Africa - 93.96
- 2 New Zealand - 91.04
- 3 Ireland - 89.32
- 4 France - 87.43
- 5 England - 84.75 (+1)
- 6 Scotland - 84.09 (-1)
- 7 Argentina - 84.06
- 8 Australia - 80.60
- 9 Fiji - 78.69
- 10 Italy - 77.31
- 11 Japan - 76.42 (+1)
- 12 Wales - 76.38 (-1)
- 13 Georgia - 73.30
- 14 USA - 69.40
- 15 Portugal - 68.67
- 16 Spain - 67.66
- 17 Uruguay - 67.62
- 18 Chile - 67.59
- 19 Samoa - 66.27
- 20 Tonga - 65.85
