Dubai to host Rugby World Cup qualification tournament

The qualification tournament for the final place at next year's men's Rugby World Cup in France will be held at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai from 6-18 November, World Rugby said on Monday.

Hong Kong, Kenya, the United States and Portugal will clash in a round-robin format, and the winners will go into Pool C at the World Cup, alongside Wales, Australia, Fiji and Georgia.

The World Cup will be played in France for the second time from 8 September next year. The country also hosted the tournament in 2007.

Kenya, the beaten finalists to Namibia Rugby Africa Cup 2022, and Hong Kong, who lost out on a finals berth to Tonga at the weekend, have never competed at the Rugby World Cup.