The final World Rugby rankings of 2024 have been confirmed, with Wales heading into the new year well behind their rivals after slipping down the standings over the last 12 months.

Warren Gatland's side started this year as the eighth highest ranked team in the world, just 0.04 behind seventh-placed Argentina, who knocked them out of the World Cup quarter-finals two months earlier. That ranking put them ahead of the likes of Italy and Australia, while they weren't a million miles away from Scotland and England in sixth and fifth place respectively.

But a nightmare 12 months has seen Wales lose all of their Test matches in 2024, with a Six Nations whitewash followed by summer defeats to Australia and South Africa and a winless autumn campaign. It the first time since 1937 that a Welsh side have gone an entire calendar year without a Test win, with their losing streak now standing at a record 12 Tests heading into next year's Six Nations.

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As a result, Gatland's side have slipped to a record low of 11th in the global rankings, with Italy, Fiji and the Wallabies all moving ahead of them and the rest of their Six Nations rivals now miles above them. Wales now count the likes of Georgia - who trail them by just 0.16 points - as well as Japan and Samoa among their nearest rivals.

Another winless Six Nations campaign - which kicks off at the end of January with a daunting visit to Paris - would likely see Gatland's side fall below some of these Tier 2 sides, while it will take a consistent run of wins to move them back up the global standings and catch their rivals.

It hasn't been a particularly dazzling year for England or Scotland when it comes to the rankings, with Steve Borthwick's side dropping two places to seventh and the Scots staying put in sixth, albeit with slightly less points. But both sides remain streets ahead of Wales, who find themselves a whopping 8.3 ranking points behind Borthwick's men heading into the new year.

Argentina have swapped places with England since the start of the year and end 2024 in fifth place, but there is no positional change in the top four with South Africa still occupying top spot. The Springboks are followed by Ireland in second place, New Zealand in third and France in fourth.

In fact, the top of the table looks quite similar, with Wales the only side who started 2024 inside the top 10 to finish the year outside of it and the Italians taking their place.

But while it is still the same guests dining at world rugby's top table, the trend that should really concern Welsh supporters when it comes to the rankings is the widening gulf between teams. Not only is the gap between the formidable top four of the Springboks, Ireland, All Blacks and France and the chasing pack getting larger, the same can now be said for the global top 10 and those outside it.

There are now over 4.6 ranking points between Wales and the Italians in 10th. Realistically, that gap will only shorten if Gatland can get his team back to winning ways with some shock victories in the Six Nations and the Azzurri - who this year enjoyed their best ever tournament finish - fail to replicate that success this time around.

A year is a long time in rugby and we may be looking at a very different rankings table in 12 months' time. One thing is for sure, however, and that is that 2024 will be a year to forget for Welsh rugby.

The latest World Rugby rankings (December 2)