England Drop to Fourth in World Rugby Rankings After Scotland Loss | Six Nations 2024
- England’s hopes of challenging for a top-three spot in the World Rugby rankings took a hit this weekend following a 31-20 defeat to Scotland in the Calcutta Cup.
- Scotland’s dominant performance at Murrayfield, fueled by tries from Huw Jones (two), Jamie Ritchie, and Ben White, secured a bonus-point victory and eased pressure on head coach Gregor...
- The current rankings, as of February 14, 2026, show South Africa maintaining their top position with 93.94 points, followed by New Zealand (90.33) and, crucially, France (88.40).
England’s hopes of challenging for a top-three spot in the World Rugby rankings took a hit this weekend following a 31-20 defeat to Scotland in the Calcutta Cup. The loss, which ended England’s 12-match winning streak, is set to see Steve Borthwick’s side drop to fourth place, potentially overtaken by France should they defeat Wales on Sunday.
Scotland’s dominant performance at Murrayfield, fueled by tries from Huw Jones (two), Jamie Ritchie, and Ben White, secured a bonus-point victory and eased pressure on head coach Gregor Townsend. While a more comprehensive win – 31-13 – would have significantly altered the rankings landscape, the 31-20 result was still enough to see Scotland climb above Italy to ninth in the world.
The current rankings, as of February 14, 2026, show South Africa maintaining their top position with 93.94 points, followed by New Zealand (90.33) and, crucially, France (88.40). England currently sit on 87.71 points, but a French victory over Wales would see Les Bleus leapfrog them into third. Ireland, despite securing a 20-13 win over Italy, remain in fifth place on 86.81 points, failing to gain any ranking points from the hard-fought victory.
The lack of ranking points for Ireland’s win highlights the complexities of the World Rugby ranking system. Points are awarded based on the result and the ranking of the opponent, meaning a narrow victory over a lower-ranked team yields fewer points than a decisive win against a higher-ranked opponent. Italy, while losing to Ireland, did not suffer any ranking detriment as a result.
Had Scotland secured a larger margin of victory against England – specifically, a 31-13 scoreline – the gap between England and Ireland would have narrowed considerably, with only 0.05 points separating the two sides. This would have set the stage for a potentially pivotal clash at Twickenham next weekend, where a win for Ireland would almost certainly see them overtake England.
However, the 31-20 result leaves England with a slightly more comfortable lead of 0.9 points over Ireland. That lead, though, is contingent on France not suffering an upset defeat to Wales. A Welsh victory would hand third place back to England, regardless of the outcome of their match against Ireland.
The focus now shifts to Cardiff on Sunday, where France will look to cement their position as a genuine contender in the Six Nations and the global rugby landscape. A win for Les Bleus would not only confirm England’s demotion to fourth but also solidify their status as one of the top three teams in the world, behind only South Africa and New Zealand.
The current World Rugby rankings (as of February 14, 2026, before the Wales v France result) are as follows:
- South Africa – 93.94
- New Zealand – 90.33
- France – 88.40
- England – 87.71
- Ireland – 86.81
- Argentina – 84.97
- Australia – 81.53
- Fiji – 81.14
- Scotland – 81.10
- Italy – 79.81
The coming weeks promise to be crucial in shaping the World Rugby rankings, with several key matches set to determine the pecking order ahead of the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia in June. The pressure is on for teams to perform consistently and secure victories against higher-ranked opponents to climb the standings and solidify their position as global rugby powerhouses.