World Rugby has published the permutations for the men’s rankings this week in its preview. World Rugby has published the ranking permutations for this weekend’s Rugby Europe Men’s Conference 2024-25 matches as well as the Asia Rugby Men’s Championship 2025 play-off in Sri Lanka.

Permutation highlights

• Sri Lanka will move up one place to 39th if they beat Malaysia in their Asia Rugby Men’s Championship 2025 play-off, two shy of their all-time best.
• Defeat to Sri Lanka will not only end Malaysia’s hopes of qualification for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 but also cost them their place in the world’s top 50, with Moldova replacing them there if they beat Bulgaria.
• However, Malaysia will become the higher ranked of the two nations if they win by more than 15 points in Colombo, jumping eight places to a new high of 42nd.
• Sri Lanka will suffer a fall of seven places to 47th in this scenario.
• Moldova are the highest ranked of the teams in action in the Rugby Europe Men’s Conference 2024-25 in 53rd and can climb as high as 48th in victory over Bulgaria, providing Malaysia are also beaten.
• Defeat, though, could see Moldova drop as many as nine places to a new low of 62nd if beaten by more than 15 points and leave them one place above Bulgaria.
• If Moldova fail to win than Latvia can secure a return to the top 50 with an emphatic victory over hosts Denmark. A smaller margin would still lift Latvia up three to 52nd.
• Denmark will be rewarded with a two or three place rise depending on the margin of victory with Latvia plummeting up to seven places if beaten by more than 15 points.
• The weekend’s other Rugby Europe Men’s Conference 2024-25 match between Montenegro and Slovenia will not count towards the rankings as the former are not a full member union of World Rugby.

WORLD RUGBY MEN’S RANKINGS

As at 17 April 2025