The November Rugby Tests: Why the Top 20 Is About to Shift
By Alan · 2026-10-28 · 4 min read
The highest-stakes window on the rugby calendar
Every autumn, the southern hemisphere powerhouses travel north for the November test matches. While fans tune in for classic rivalries such as England against New Zealand or France against South Africa, another battle happens on paper: the World Rugby men's world ranking.
Because tests between top-tier nations carry the most ranking weight, the coming weeks usually cause more movement in the top 20 than almost any other period of the year.
How the points exchange system works
World Rugby does not hand out fixed tournament points. It uses a points exchange: whatever the winning team gains, the losing team gives up. No points are created out of thin air.
The size of the exchange depends on the rating gap between the two teams, on home advantage (the home side is treated as if it were three rating points stronger), and on the margin: a win by more than 15 points multiplies the exchange by one and a half. Beating a much higher-ranked team away from home is therefore the biggest possible jump.
Razor-thin margins at the top
Going into the window, South Africa (93.09) and New Zealand (92.27) are separated by less than a point at the summit. Ireland (88.08) and France (87.43) are locked in a duel for the best European position.
Just behind them, England (85.68), Scotland (84.78) and Australia (84.43) sit within about 1.25 points of each other, so a single weekend can flip their order.
The battle for the top 10 and beyond
Argentina (82.24), Fiji (77.85) and Wales (76.38) complete the current top 10, with Italy, Georgia and Japan close enough to apply pressure. For emerging nations such as Georgia, Portugal and Uruguay, a test against an established side is a golden chance: one upset can lift a team several places and improve its seeding for future World Cup draws.
The points quoted here are the official World Rugby values saved on AllSportsRanking when this article was written. Check the live rugby ranking after each weekend to see how the table has changed.
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