Manu Samoa have officially secured their place at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia after a tense 13–13 draw with Belgium in Dubai. The crucial repechage match, played at The Sevens Stadium, served as a winner-takes-all for the final qualification spot.

Despite the draw, Samoa advanced due to their superior points tally accumulated earlier in the tournament, following strong performances against Spain and Brazil. Belgium, known as the Black Devils, entered the match just one point behind Samoa on the standings and pushed the Manu throughout the fiercely contested encounter.

The match remained tight from the outset, with both teams trading penalties, 3-3. By halftime, Belgium held a narrow 6–3 lead after capitalising on Samoa’s missed opportunities. The second half continued similarly until the 64th minute, when Samoa finally broke through. Abraham Papali’i powered over from close range to score the team’s only try of the match. The try was converted by Jacob Umaga, putting Samoa ahead 10–6 and shifting momentum in their favour and then another penalty conversion from Umaga, making it 13-6.

Captain Theodore McFarland credited his side’s perseverance, saying he was proud of the team’s resilience. “Just proud of the effort that the boys made. The goal was to qualify for the World Cup. It wasn't all pretty today, but we managed to get the ticket to the World Cup, so I'm very, very proud of the boys,” he told the media after the match.

“In terms of the game today, we spoke all week about giving Belgium the respect. To be fair, they gave it to us the whole game, so credit to Belgium. They stuck in it, they really gave it to us the whole game. I'm proud of the team, stuck in it the whole 80 minutes,” he said.

Belgium refused to fade and were rewarded in the 72nd minute when Jean Derice Decumbder was awarded a try after officials reviewed the grounding, levelling the match at 13–13.

However, a draw was enough for Samoa, who held firm in the closing minutes, knowing their earlier tournament results would carry them through. After the whistle, the Manu Samoa players gathered on the field to sing in celebration.

With qualification secured, Samoa now turn their focus to preparations for the Rugby World Cup 2027 in Perth, Australia.