National Rugby Coach Understands Move to Reduce Rugby World Cup

Head coach of Jamaica’s senior men’s rugby team, Romeo Monteith, says he has mixed feeling to the sport’s global governing body’s decision to reduce the number of teams that will compete at the 2026 World Cup from 16 to 10.

The is set for Australia.

Monteith says the decision was taken to make the games more competitive and the tournament financial viable.

The eight quarter-finalists from 2022 qualified automatically. These are, Australia, Tonga, England, New Zealand, Samoa, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Lebanon.

They’ll be joined by the top two nations from a round-robin qualifying tournament next year.

The qualifiers are Jamaica, Cook Islands, South Africa, and the winners of a European group comprising France, Wales, Serbia, and Ukraine.

Monteith says Jamaica will be strong contenders.

Romeo Monteith.