Source: https://www.world.rugby/
The Nations Championship is a major new Rugby Union tournament for men’s national teams, organized by World Rugby. The very first edition launched in July 2026.
The tournament was created to reform the global rugby calendar and give more competitive meaning to the traditional international test matches.
The Essentials
- When is it played? The tournament takes place every two years—specifically in even years (e.g., 2026, 2028), avoiding years with the Rugby World Cup or the British & Irish Lions tours. Matches are played during the international windows in July and November.
- Who participates? A total of 12 of the world’s top national teams take part, split into two conferences:
- Northern Hemisphere (Europe): England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales (the Six Nations teams).
- Southern Hemisphere/Pacific: Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa (the SANZAAR teams), plus two invited nations, Fiji and Japan.
How Does the Format Work?
- The Group Stage: Each team from the Northern Conference plays against all six teams from the Southern Conference (making it 6 matches per team, split across July and November).
- The Finals Weekend: At the end of the group stage in November, all teams travel to London for a massive Finals Weekend. The teams facing the same rank from the opposite conference play each other (e.g., 6th North vs. 6th South). The top team from the North plays the top team from the South in the Grand Final to crown the overall champion.
Is There Promotion and Relegation?
Yes, but with a delay. Parallel to the main tournament, there is a second-tier competition called the World Rugby Nations Cup, which also features 12 national teams. Starting in 2030, a promotion and relegation system will be introduced between the two tiers, giving emerging rugby nations a pathway to compete at the highest level.
The inaugural 2026 Nations Championship runs from July 4 to November 29, 2026. The program is split into two distinct windows (the Summer and Autumn internationals) where teams from the Northern Hemisphere play against teams from the Southern Hemisphere, concluding with a massive finals weekend in London.
Here is how the program breaks down:
Part 1: The Summer Window (July 2026)
Southern Hemisphere teams (and Fiji) host the Northern Hemisphere teams.
- Round 1 (July 4):
- New Zealand vs. France (Christchurch)
- Japan vs. Italy (Tokyo)
- Australia vs. Ireland (Sydney)
- Fiji vs. Wales (Cardiff)
- South Africa vs. England (Johannesburg)
- Argentina vs. Scotland (Cordoba)
- Round 2 (July 11):
- New Zealand vs. Italy (Wellington)
- Australia vs. France (Brisbane)
- Japan vs. Ireland (Newcastle, AUS)
- Fiji vs. England (Liverpool)
- South Africa vs. Scotland (Pretoria)
- Argentina vs. Wales (San Juan)
- Round 3 (July 18):
- New Zealand vs. Ireland (Auckland)
- Japan vs. France (Tokyo)
- Australia vs. Italy (Perth)
- Fiji vs. Scotland (Edinburgh)
- South Africa vs. Wales (Durban)
- Argentina vs. England (Santiago del Estero)
Part 2: The Autumn Window (November 2026)
The venues flip, and Northern Hemisphere teams host the Southern Hemisphere teams.
- Round 4 (November 6–8):
- Ireland vs. Argentina (Dublin)
- Italy vs. South Africa (Turin)
- Scotland vs. New Zealand (Edinburgh)
- Wales vs. Japan (Cardiff)
- England vs. Australia (London)
- France vs. Fiji (Lyon)
- Round 5 (November 13–15):
- France vs. South Africa (Paris)
- Scotland vs. Australia (Edinburgh)
- Italy vs. Argentina (Genoa)
- Wales vs. New Zealand (Cardiff)
- England vs. Japan (London)
- Ireland vs. Fiji (Dublin)
- Round 6 (November 21):
- England vs. New Zealand (London)
- Scotland vs. Japan (Edinburgh)
- Ireland vs. South Africa (Dublin)
- Italy vs. Fiji (Udine)
- France vs. Argentina (Paris)
- Wales vs. Australia (Cardiff)
Part 3: The Finals Weekend (November 27–29, 2026)
All 12 teams head to Allianz Stadium (Twickenham) in London for a historic three-day festival of rugby. Teams are paired based on their final standings in the Northern vs. Southern tables.
- Friday, November 27: * North 6th vs. South 6th
- North 3rd vs. South 3rd
- Saturday, November 28: * North 5th vs. South 5th
- North 2nd vs. South 2nd
- Sunday, November 29: * North 4th vs. South 4th
- The Grand Final: North 1st vs. South 1st (To crown the ultimate champion)
The official tournament information, live scores, match centers, and scheduling are hosted on the World Rugby website:
- Main Tournament Hub: World Rugby Nations Championship
- Official Ticket Hub & Finals Info: Nations Championship Rugby
For the concurrent second-tier tournament, you can find the matches and pools at the World Rugby Nations Cup Website.
Results for the New Rugby Nations Championships 2026
The inaugural 2026 Nations Championship has kicked off with plenty of high-scoring action across the first two rounds of the Southern Hemisphere Series. Here are the official match results for Rounds 1 and 2:
Round 1 (Saturday, July 4, 2026)
- New Zealand 34 – 32 France
- Japan 27 – 10 Italy
- Australia 31 – 33 Ireland
- Fiji 24 – 39 Wales (Played in Cardiff)
- South Africa 45 – 21 England
- Argentina 38 – 47 Scotland
Round 2 (Saturday, July 11, 2026)
- New Zealand 47 – 17 Italy
- Australia 26 – 42 France
- Japan 20 – 36 Ireland
- Fiji 8 – 73 England (Played in Liverpool)
- South Africa 42 – 28 Scotland
- Argentina 35 – 21 Wales
Current Standings Outlook
Following the opening two rounds, Ireland leads the Northern Hemisphere conference, while South Africa and New Zealand sit tied at the top of the Southern Hemisphere conference, all remaining undefeated with 2 wins apiece.
