Rugby is bracing for its biggest shake-up since the sport turned professional. The brand new Nations Championship is now just 50 days away, with 12 powerhouse nations set to clash across two hemispheres for a brand new global crown. Kickoff lands on Saturday, July 4 at the One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch, with the road leading straight to a sold-out Finals Weekend in London this November.
A Bold New Era for International Test Rugby
The Nations Championship is the first tournament in rugby history where every July and November Test match feeds into a single trophy chase. In 50 days, the Nations Championship makes its debut, with the 12 strongest teams in international rugby lining up in two groups of six, representing the Northern and Southern Hemisphere respectively, to begin their campaign to win the first ever edition of the new biennial tournament.
For their debut in 2026, the Nations Championship will feature all Six Nations Rugby teams representing the northern hemisphere (England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales) and taking on the SANZAAR nations (Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) plus two invitational teams (Japan and Fiji), competing on behalf of the southern hemisphere.
Here is how the format works at a glance:
- Two groups of six teams playing a full cross-hemisphere round robin
- Three rounds in July hosted by Southern Hemisphere nations
- Three rounds in November hosted by Northern Hemisphere nations
- Finals Weekend in London from 27 to 29 November to crown the champion
- Biennial cycle, skipping Rugby World Cup and British and Irish Lions tour years
The tournament signals the first time in the sport’s history that the biggest nations in rugby have come together to create a cohesive and competitive tournament format and will stand as the biggest evolution in the game, since it turned professional in 1995.
Super Saturdays Set to Light Up July
The opening weekend will be huge. The tournament gets underway on July 4 and kicks-off with an historic clash between the All Blacks and France at the new One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch. It will be the first ever Test match played at the Stadium and will signal the start of the journey towards London this November, and the Nations Championship Finals Weekend.
Kicking off on Saturday July 4th, the Nations Championship opens with a blockbuster set of three consecutive ‘Super Saturday’s’ across July, giving fans back-to-back fixtures each match day, featuring the best players and teams in the international game.
Six matches will run back to back on opening day across the globe.
| Date | Fixture | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 4 July | New Zealand v France | One NZ Stadium, Christchurch |
| 4 July | Australia v Ireland | Allianz Stadium, Sydney |
| 4 July | South Africa v England | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| 4 July | Japan v Italy | Chichibunomiya, Tokyo |
| 4 July | Argentina v Scotland | Santiago del Estero |
| 4 July | Fiji v Wales | Cardiff City Stadium |
“This July sets the tone for the entire Nations Championship. Three consecutive ‘Super Saturdays’ with back-to-back fixtures, starring the best teams in the sport, all competing to win the sport’s newest titles and silverware.” Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby
November Series Brings the Heat Back North
When the calendar flips to autumn, the action moves to Europe. Fast forward to November for the ‘Northern Series’, and the Nations Championship dominates the entire month, turning the Northern Hemisphere into the centre of international rugby. The remaining three rounds of group fixtures span Friday, Saturday and Sunday each weekend, culminating in the first of its kind Finals Weekend in London at the end of November.
Ireland’s home leg looks especially spicy. Ireland’s games at Aviva Stadium in the Northern Series kick off with Argentina on Friday, November 6 at 20:10 followed by Fiji on Saturday, November 14 at the same time. The final round sees Ireland take on the Springboks on Saturday, November 21 at 16:40.
Steve Borthwick’s side will face South Africa, Fiji and Argentina in July 2026, before taking on Australia, Japan and New Zealand at Allianz Stadium in November 2026. South Africa will host England at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, before the team return for an ‘away’ fixture against Fiji at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool.
Scotland fans will get three home dates too. The Scots host New Zealand on November 7, Australia on November 15 and Japan on November 21 at Murrayfield.
Finals Weekend in London Set to Crown a Champion
The showpiece climax is unlike anything rugby has seen before. After the six rounds, a finals series will be contested over three days with each team matched against its equivalently ranked team in the other pool to decide placements. All finals in 2026 are to be held at Twickenham Stadium in London from, 27 to 29 November.
The schedule rolls out across all three days at Allianz Stadium, the famous home of English rugby.
- Friday 27 November: 11th place final and 5th place final
- Saturday 28 November: 9th place final and 3rd place final
- Sunday 29 November: 7th place final and the Nations Championship final
Likened to the Superbowl of rugby, the Nations Championship Finals Weekend will offer global fans a unique experience with the best players and teams in international rugby on show for a festival finale to the tournament. The winner of the top ranked clash between hemispheres takes the inaugural crown.
Free-To-Air Coverage Reaches Record Levels
Fans in the biggest rugby markets will not pay a penny to watch. Under the deal, every fixture from the first two editions of the Nations Championship, in 2026 and 2028, will be shown live and free-to-air on ITV and STV. ITV said the agreement delivers the most comprehensive free-to-air access to international rugby in the UK since the sport turned professional.
Virgin Media Television in Ireland, and TF1 in France add to the major Free-To-Air broadcast coverage, with Sky Italia adding to its longstanding rugby coverage for fans in Italy. Southern Hemisphere coverage includes Stan and Channel 9 in Australia, and Sky New Zealand, with additional global distribution set to be confirmed soon. Southern Hemisphere coverage includes Stan and Nine in Australia, SuperSport in South Africa, Wowow in Japan and Sky New Zealand, with updates regarding additional global distribution set to be made soon.
That reach matters. VMTV will air all 42 matches of the 2026 Nations Championship, with seven Ireland fixtures included in the schedule.
The countdown is now real, and rugby is buzzing like rarely before. After years of meetings, fan debate and broken calendar tradition, the sport finally has a global stage where every Test means something, every weekend builds drama and every fan from Christchurch to Cardiff has skin in the game. The 50 day mark is more than a number, it is the moment the wait turns into anticipation. Are you backing the North or the South to lift rugby’s newest crown? Drop your prediction in the comments and share your hype on social media using #NationsChampionship.
