World Rugby rankings: England’s opportunity to reclaim the north’s top spot as record-highs await Scotland and Georgia
England prop Ellis Genge and the latest World Rugby rankings.
England have the opportunity to finish the Six Nations in the same position on the World Rugby rankings as they started it, as the tournament’s highest-ranked team.
After winning 12 straight matches, Steve Borthwick’s men ended 2025 in third place on the rankings but have since slipped to sixth after a hat-trick of defeats in the Six Nations.
However, England have the opportunity to shoot back up to third place if results go their way on Super Saturday, while there are two record-high rankings on the cards this weekend.
We run through the ranking permutations from the action in the Six Nations and Rugby Europe Championship with the help of World Rugby.
Six Nations permutations
There will be no change at the summit of the World Rugby rankings regardless of the results on Saturday, as none of the teams can surpass South Africa at the summit or New Zealand in second.
However, any of England, Ireland or France could seal third place and the highest ranking of a Six Nations team depending on the results.
Ireland, currently ranked third, are in pole position to do so as all that is required of them is to avoid defeat to Scotland at the Aviva Stadium. Andy Farrell’s men are on an 11-game winning run against Scotland, dating back to a 27-22 loss at Murrayfield in the 2017 Six Nations. They could even afford to lose and retain third place if France fail to beat England at the Stade de France.
As for England, they would need to beat France by more than 15 points and Scotland would need to win by the same margin in Dublin for Borthwick’s men to return to the third-place ranking. Even if the latter does not occur, England are guaranteed to overtake Argentina and France if they win in Paris.
For France to end the Championship in third place, they need to beat England, with that result paired with Scotland ending their losing streak in Dublin. Neither winning margin needs to be by more than 15 points.
However, if Gregor Townsend’s men do beat the Irish by more than 15 points, they will rise to fifth in the World Rugby rankings – equalling their all-time highest ranking. A win by a smaller margin will only see them rise higher than seventh if it is paired with an England defeat – in this case, England will be the lower-ranked nation.
They cannot drop lower than their current ranking, as Italy will not earn enough rating points by beating Wales to surpass them.
Hot off their famous first-ever victory over England, the Azzurri could end the Six Nations as high as eighth – two places up from where they started the Championship. A win by any margin will do it for the Italians as they will move past both Australia and Fiji.
Georgia could match all-time high
A third straight Six Nations campaign without a win for Wales could see them drop to 13th place in the rankings, unless Georgia lose to Portugal in the Rugby Europe Men’s Championship. Georgia will equal their all-time high of 11th if they win by more than 15 points, if that result is paired with a Wales loss.
If Portugal becomes the first side to beat Georgia in the REC since Romania in 2017, Os Lobos will climb two places, above the USA and Uruguay, to 14th – one off their all-time best. The gap between Portugal and Georgia could shrink to as little as 0.76 points if Os Lobos win by more than 15 points.
For Spain to climb back above Portugal, they need to beat Romania in the third-place play-off and hope that Georgia win by more than 15 points in the final. A heavy defeat to Romania would see Spain slide three places down to 20th, leaving them one place above the Oaks.
2026 SIX NATIONS ROUND FIVE
IRELAND (3) 88.89 v SCOTLAND (7) 83.08
Ireland win by 15 points or less – Ireland 89.01, Scotland 82.96
Ireland win by more than 15 points – Ireland 89.07, Scotland 82.90
Draw – Ireland 88.01, Scotland 83.96
Scotland win by 15 points or less – Ireland 87.01, Scotland 84.96
Scotland win by more than 15 points – Ireland 86.07, Scotland 85.90
WALES (12) 73.62 v ITALY (10) 81.09
Wales win by 15 points or less – Wales 75.07, Italy 79.64
Wales win by more than 15 points – Wales 75.79, Italy 78.92
Draw – Wales 74.07, Italy 80.64
Italy win by 15 points or less – Wales 73.07, Italy 81.64
Italy win by more than 15 points – Wales 72.79, Italy 81.92
FRANCE (4) 87.03 v ENGLAND (6) 84.34
France win by 15 points or less – France 87.46, England 83.91
France win by more than 15 points – France 87.67, England 83.69
Draw – France 86.46, England 84.91
England win by 15 points or less – France 85.46, England 85.91
England win by more than 15 points – France 84.67, England 86.69
RUGBY EUROPE MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP 2026
GERMANY (33) 51.88 v NETHERLANDS (28) 54.49
Germany win by 15 points or less – Germany 53.24, Netherlands 54.1
Germany win by more than 15 points – Germany 53.92, Netherlands 53.44
Netherlands win by 15 points or less – Germany 51.24, Netherlands 56.13
Netherlands win by more than 15 points – Germany 50.92, Netherlands 56.44
SWITZERLAND (27) 56.43 v BELGIUM (22) 60.07
Switzerland win by 15 points or less – Switzerland 57.79, Belgium 58.71
Switzerland win by more than 15 points – Switzerland 58.47, Belgium 58.03
Belgium win by 15 points or less – Switzerland 55.79, Belgium 60.71
Belgium win by more than 15 points – Switzerland 55.47, Belgium 61.03
ROMANIA (20) 60.69 v SPAIN (17) 67.49
Romania win by 15 points or less – Romania 62.67, Spain 65.51
Romania win by more than 15 points – Romania 63.66, Spain 64.52
Spain win by 15 points or less – Romania 60.67, Spain 67.51
Spain win by more than 15 points – Romania 60.66, Spain 67.52
GEORGIA (13) 73.48 v PORTUGAL (16) 68.11
Georgia win by 15 points or less – Georgia 73.94, Portugal 67.64
Georgia win by more than 15 points – Georgia 74.17, Portugal 67.41
Portugal win by 15 points or less – Georgia 71.94, Portugal 69.64
Portugal win by more than 15 points – Georgia 71.17, Portugal 70.41
Latest World Rugby rankings
(As of 12/03/2026)
1 South Africa 93.94
2 New Zealand 90.33
3 Ireland 88.89
4 France 87.03
5 Argentina 84.97
6 England 84.34
7 Scotland 83.08
8 Australia 81.53
9 Fiji 81.14
10 Italy 81.09
11 Japan 74.09
12 Wales 73.62
13 Georgia 73.48
14 Uruguay 69.19
15 USA 68.26
16 Portugal 68.11
17 Spain 67.49
18 Chile 66.72
19 Tonga 66.66
20 Samoa 66.43
