New World Rugby rankings table puts Wales one loss from previously unthinkable
A Wales defeat in Italy would leave them staring down the barrel of a second consecutive Wooden Spoon and see Warren Gatland's side drop below Georgia to 12th in the world rankings. Such a slump, which would have been unthinkable not so long ago, would come at a time when many are calling for the Rugby Europe Championship favourites to be given the chance to stake a claim for a Six Nations place.
Even Wales legend Sam Warburton believes a Six Nations relegation match should be held between the bottom nation and the winners of the second tier competition, which has been dominated by the Georgians for years. You can read about that here. Georgia famously beat Wales in Cardiff for the first time in 2022 before Warren Gatland's men got revenge at the 2023 Rugby World Cup with a comprehensive 43-19 win.
The opening weekend of the 2025 Six Nations saw no movement in the World Rugby rankings table, with the favourites for each match - France, Scotland and Ireland - all getting the job done. Ireland remain second behind world champions South Africa, with France fourth, Scotland sixth, England seventh, Italy 10th and Wales 11th.
READ MORE: Sam Warburton calls for Six Nations relegation match even if Wales get Wooden Spoon
READ MORE: Wales call up new player to Six Nations squad amid concerns over key stars
That lowly position is already Wales' worst ever ranking, coming as a result of 13 consecutive defeats over the past 15 months or so.
Wales will drop to 12th if they lose by any margin in Rome and Georgia beat the Netherlands, who are ranked 24th, at home. Richard Cockerill's side beat Switzerland 110-0 on the opening weekend.
A Wales win by more than 15 points would see them overtake Italy and move up to 10th. A Welsh win by 15 points or less will see them stay 11th.
The new World Rugby rankings table
1 | South Africa | 92.78 | ||
2 | Ireland | 90.78 | ||
3 | New Zealand | 90.36 | ||
4 | France | 88.51 | ||
5 | Argentina | 84.97 | ||
6 | Scotland | 83.57 | (+0.23) | |
7 | England | 82.31 | ||
8 | Australia | 81.52 | ||
9 | Fiji | 80.07 | ||
10 | Italy | 78.41 | (-0.23) | |
11 | Wales | 74.01 | ||
12 | Georgia | 73.85 | ||
13 | Japan | 72.95 | ||
14 | Samoa | 72.68 | ||
15 | USA | 70.02 | ||
