(Reuters) -Romania and Portugal have qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, joining Georgia and Spain at the tournament after reaching the Europe Championship semi-finals.
Spain qualified for the first time since 1999 while Georgia, a side that made their World Cup debut in 2003, secured their place for the seventh consecutive time.
Portugal will play at the World Cup for the third time after the events held in France in 2007 and 2023. Romania have secured their 10th straight qualification for the tournament.
The total number of teams who have secured places at the tournament so far now stands at 16.
The new-look 2027 World Cup will see teams competing in a different format, with the tournament expanding from 20 to 24 and split into six first-round groups of four sides each.
(Reporting by Suramya Kaushik and Janina Nuno Rios; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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