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Everything you need to know about rugby’s new Nations Championship
England, New Zealand, South Africa and France headline a fresh cross-hemisphere tournament – here’s how to secure your tickets
The official Nations Championship has landed, and rugby’s newest international competition is set to reshape the Test calendar from 2026 onwards. Bringing together 12 of the world’s leading men’s teams, the biennial tournament pits the Northern and Southern Hemispheres against each other across six rounds of fixtures before a winner-takes-all Finals Weekend at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. The result is a fresh layer of jeopardy for every Test match, with every point counting towards the race for the inaugural title. Here’s everything you need to know…
Rather than replacing the Six Nations or The Rugby Championship, the Nations Championship slots into years without a Rugby World Cup or British & Irish Lions tour. The Six Nations sides – England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales – face New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Fiji and Japan in a cross-hemisphere league, ensuring every nation meets each team from the opposite conference once.
The tournament unfolds across two familiar international windows. Three rounds take place in July, with Northern Hemisphere nations travelling south, before the action switches north for three more rounds in November. Every team plays six matches in total – three home and three away – earning league points along the way before the standings decide who faces who in the decisive Finals Weekend.
Round one wastes no time serving up heavyweight encounters. France head to New Zealand, England begin away to reigning world champions South Africa, Ireland meet Australia, Scotland travel to Argentina, Wales face Fiji and Italy take on Japan. November’s fixtures promise more blockbuster contests, including England against Australia and New Zealand, Ireland hosting South Africa, Wales welcoming Australia and France meeting Argentina.
The tournament reaches its conclusion from 27–29 November at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. Rather than traditional semi-finals, every nation plays one final crossover fixture against the team that finished in the same position in the opposite hemisphere. Sixth faces sixth, fifth meets fifth and so on, culminating in the championship decider between the top-ranked Northern and Southern Hemisphere teams. It’s a format designed to keep all 12 nations involved until the very end, while crowning the first Nations Championship winner on one of rugby’s biggest stages.
How to watch the Nations Championship live in the UK
UK fans won’t have to wait until November to experience the Nations Championship. Although the opening rounds are largely staged across the Southern Hemisphere, Fiji will host all three of their home fixtures in the UK during July, giving fans an early chance to catch the new competition in person.
Wales visit on 4 July, England follow on 11 July, before Scotland round off Fiji’s UK-based campaign on 18 July. Tickets are available here for Fiji vs Wales, Fiji vs England and Fiji vs Scotland.
The tournament then heads into its Northern Hemisphere leg proper in November, with England, Scotland and Wales each hosting three Nations Championship fixtures. England welcome Australia (8 November), Japan (14 November) and New Zealand (21 November), while Scotland take on New Zealand (7 November), Australia (15 November) and Japan (21 November). Wales host Japan (7 November), New Zealand (14 November) and Australia (21 November). Tickets are available via the official England Rugby, Scotland Rugby and Wales Rugby ticket pages.
The competition concludes with Finals Weekend at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham from 27–29 November, when all 12 nations return for three days of double-header action, including the inaugural Nations Championship Final. Tickets for Finals Weekend are available here.
