Chile stun USA to qualify for 2023 Rugby World Cup

Chile advanced to the Rugby World Cup for the first time on Saturday with a stunning 31-29 victory over the host United States to win a two-leg aggregate qualifier.

Santiago Videla's penalty in the 75th minute put Los Condores ahead for the first time and produced the final margin at Glendale, Colorado.

That was enough to give Chile a shocking 52-51 overall aggregate victory despite the Americans' 22-21 triumph last weekend in Santiago and send the South American squad into next year's global rugby showdown in France.

"It really means so much... the sacrifices that this team has done. There were times when it seemed like it was uphill," Chile captain Martin Sigren said.

"I want to thank all the family who came here. They were the ones who kept us pushing."

Chile secured a spot in Pool D at the 2023 World Cup alongside England, Argentina, Japan and Samoa.

The history makers ?? ????See you in France ??#RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/1uIFCooAd9

Despite the defeat, the Eagles can still make it to France in 2023 through a final qualification tournament in November against Portugal, Kenya and the Asia/Pacific playoff loser.

"It's heart-breaking," US captain AJ MacGinty said. "We worked hard for our scores, especially in first half.

"But credit to Chile. We really had our foot on their throat in the first half. I saw them under their posts, and they had a lost look in their eyes, but they battled back and fair play to them."

The United States, confirmed in May as the host nation for the 2031 Rugby World Cup, has missed the event only once, failing to qualify for the 1995 edition in South Africa.

It was a shocking reversal of fortune for a Chilean side humbled for years by the Eagles in the Tournament of the Americas.

The United States had beaten