Ten years ago, Chile were a third-tier nation on their own continent. They have just added a continental title to a trophy cabinet that is filling up fast.

A continental title

Chile have won the 2026 Americas Rugby Championship, the competition that brings together the leading national teams in the Americas, excluding Argentina’s first XV.

The result extends an upward curve that began with the Cóndores’ historic qualification for the 2023 World Cup in France, secured at the expense of the United States.

Selknam, the structure behind the national team

Chile’s rise is built on a professional franchise, Selknam, which has competed in Super Rugby Americas since 2020. It gives the country’s internationals a high-level fixture list they never had before.

Several players also play in Europe, particularly in France.

What comes next

The big target remains the 2027 World Cup in Australia, where the format expanded to twenty-four teams opens up more places for emerging nations. Chile head into it as the second force on the continent.