The following teams have already qualified for the 2011 World Cup by finishing in the top 3 of their group in the 2007 World Cup:

• Argentina
• Australia
• England
• Fiji
• France
• Ireland
• Italy
• New Zealand
• Scotland
• South Africa
• Tonga
• Wales

This leaves 8 qualifying places available with over 90 teams aspiring to fill these places. The 112 match qualifying process commenced in April 2008 at the Caribbean Championship in Grand Cayman. Trinidad and Tobago were the winners here and have booked their place in the next qualifying round. They will play the winners of South Americas Consur B tournament later in 2008.

Seeding of the teams for the 2011 Cup is to be based on their IRB World Rankings as at 1 December 2008.

More information on qualifying and participating teams will be posted here as it becomes available.

See also the latest World Cup news as it comes to hand.