| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2015 – 2018 |
| No. of nations | 86 |
← 2015 2023 → | |
The qualification process for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan began during the pool stages of the 2015 tournament in England, during which the top three teams from each of the four pools were awarded automatic qualification for the 2019 event. A further eight teams qualified through regional, cross-regional tournaments and the repechage process.[1]
The qualifying matches began on 5 March 2016, when Jamaica defeated Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 48–0. Symbolically, the referee for the match was Nigel Owens, who had refereed the 2015 Rugby World Cup final five months earlier.[2]
- ^ rugbybworldcup.com. "Regional qualification process set for Rugby World Cup 2019".
- ^ worldrugby.org. "Jamaica kick off RWC 2019 qualification in style". worldrugby.org. Retrieved 2016-03-06.