Chile coach Pablo Lemoine: ‘Rugby is in trouble, even in countries like Wales’

Luke McLaughlin Tue, 23 December 2025 at 11:01 am UTC·8 min read How did Pablo Lemoine, Chile’s head coach, react when they were drawn with Australia and New Zealand for the 2027 Rugby World Cup? The answer is perceptive and somewhat surprising. “When countries like Chile play in a World Cup you need a general vision,” Lemoine says. “Thinking only of sport it’s fantastic – it’s awesome. But thinking of the real impact Chile needs: development programmes, political impact, social impact … for our fans, it’s much more difficult to find tickets when you play the All Blacks or Australia.”Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking on Zoom from Chile’s Parque Mahuida training base in...