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Rugby World Cup: 10 facts ahead of England v Chile

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Deputy Sports Editor - City PM

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England can all but secure a place in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup with a bonus point victory over Chile today. Here's what you need to know ahead of the clash in Lille.
England can all but secure a place in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup with a bonus point victory over Chile today. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the clash in Lille. (Photo by Hans van der Valk/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

England can all but secure a place in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup with a bonus point victory over Chile today. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the clash in Lille.

10 England-Chile facts

  • This is Chile’s first ever World Cup having looked to qualify for every tournament since the 1995 edition in South Africa – their qualification record for 2019 was actually statistically better than in 2023.
  • England and Chile have never played each other and the Los Cóndores will be England’s third South American opponent after Argentina and Uruguay.
  • England have played South American sides six times at the Rugby World Cup (four versus Argentina and two versus Uruguay) and have won them all.
  • Chile’s qualification saw them finish second in Round2A of the 2021 South American Championship before beating Canada over two legs and then the United States over two legs.
  • Of all the teams who have played two matches, Chile have the third worst points difference (-63). Not bad for a debut team!
  • England are the only side to top a pool with two wins without having 10 points so far in this tournament – they failed to score four tries against Argentina on the opening weekend.
  • When Chile face Argentina, on 30 September, it will be the first ever meeting between two South American sides at the Rugby World Cup.
  • Today’s match will be the second of five to be held at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille (France 27-12 Uruguay, England v Chile, Scotland v Romania, England v Samoa and Tonga v Romania).
  • The Stade Pierre-Mauroy has a capacity of 50,186 and is the fourth biggest stadium in use at the Rugby World Cup after Paris’ Stade de France, Marseille’s Stade Velodrome and Lyon’s OL Stadium.
  • Chile can become just the fourth team to win a match in the first World Cup (excluding those who took part in the first tournament in 1987), joining Samoa (then Western Samoa, 1991), South Africa (1995) and Uruguay (1999).