Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR have redefined the future of international rugby, unveiling the all-new Nations Championship that will debut in July 2026. This biennial, cross-hemisphere competition features 12 of the strongest nations in the sport – battling for a new global crown.
These teams will participate in a competitive tournament format before a champion nation is crowned at the first-of-its-kind Nations Championship Finals Weekend. The winning Hemisphere will also be crowned after three days of double headers at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium next November.
South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina will represent the Southern Hemisphere, along with invitational sides Japan and Fiji. They will take on the Six Nations teams in the battle for the top prize, with each team playing six cross-hemisphere fixtures across July and November.
Northern Hemisphere teams will travel south to play three rounds of matches in July, facing a different side in each fixture. The six Southern Hemisphere nations will fly north in November for the final three rounds, which will determine the final standings and Finals Weekend matchups.
In the Nations Championship Finals Weekend, the top-ranked side from the north will face the number one seed from the south. The winner of that fixture will become the champions, and points will also be awarded to determine the winning hemisphere for the year.
The World Rugby Council ratified the Nations Championship in 2023, as part of a broader effort to change the global calendar. Unions, federations, clubs, leagues, tournament organisers, players and World Rugby have helped shape the future of the international game.
“The Nations Championship has the power to redefine the future of rugby, and the partnership between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR signals a tectonic shift in the sport,” CEO of Six Nations Rugby, Tom Harrison, said in a statement.
“Rugby’s strongest nations have collaborated with a clear vision to grow the game, by challenging traditional ways of operating to create a tournament structure with genuine global relevance, which will unlock the true value of the sport.”
“The world’s biggest and best Championships are defined by intense sporting drama, and the Nations Championship will stand alongside these. The Finals Weekend will add a totally new dimension for fans, and promises to create an incredible spectacle, crown champions, and act as a catalyst to grow rugby’s reach, globally.
“By bringing together the best teams and players in the sport and injecting another layer to the fierce cross-hemisphere rivalries, the Nations Championship will take international rugby to new heights.”
The inaugural round of the Nations Championship includes a series of blockbuster matches, with the New Zealand hosting France on Saturday, July 4. Australia will take on Ireland, and South Africa face England during the first weekend of Tests.
France are returning to New Zealand’s shores after facing the All Blacks in a three-Test series earlier in 2025. Les Bleus were swept in the series but were without some big-name players like Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack.
Ireland haven’t played the Wallabies on Australian soil in eight years, with the visitors getting the job done 20-16 in Sydney on June 23, 2018. They’ve played each other three times since, with Ireland winning those matches, which were all in Dublin.
It’s a similar story for England, who will return to South Africa for the first time since 2018. They’ve faced the Springboks six times since, including defeats in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final and the 2023 Rugby World Cup semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s 2026 schedule will include away fixtures against Argentina and South Africa, and a July clash with Fiji either at home or elsewhere in Europe. Their November programme will feature New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
“Yes, it’s an interesting time,” said Gregor Townsend on Sunday. “We play the southern hemisphere teams [in November] at the end of their campaign and they obviously have got really good cohesion and we have to find that. But we’ll be also playing them in July when we’ve had a full season. Playing the top teams every two years in this new competition is going to raise the level of performances for the Six Nations teams and likewise for the Rugby Championship teams. So we’re looking forward to that tournament.”
Steve Tandy’s Wales will face Fiji, Japan and South Africa in their July block; before hosting Japan, New Zealand and Australia in the November block.
The Boks will face England on 4 July, Scotland on 11 July and Wales on 18 July in their midyear Nations Championship programme, before meeting Italy on the weekend of 6 to 8 November, France on the weekend of 13 to 15 November and Ireland on 21 November to complete their European schedule.
“The establishment of The Nations Championship is an historic and exciting move for rugby that will see the SANZAAR Member Unions, with the addition of Fiji and Japan, take on the best of Europe and the Northern Hemisphere on a biennial basis,” CEO of SANZAAR, Brendan Morris, explained.
“SANZAAR nations have a proud and successful record at international level. Our aim is to continue this record, and the Nations Championship, along with our rugby calendar for the 2026-2030 period, will provide the perfect pathway for continued success.
“We warmly welcome our Pacific neighbours into the tournament, as part of our ‘team’. The participating teams are excited, the broadcasters are excited, and the fans are excited, and we very much look forward to July 2026 when it all kicks-off.”
With the inclusion of invitational sides Fiji and Japan, these nations will play regular matches against some of the best teams in the game. Fiji showed signs or promise in recent Quilter Nations Series matches away to England and France.
Japan suffered a 24-23 defeat to Wales last weekend in Cardiff. It’s been six years since they last beat any of the Six Nations sides, defeating both Ireland and Scotland during pool play at the 2019 Rugby World Cup on home soil.
“The Nations Championship, and its introduction into the international rugby calendar, is a transformational moment for the entire sport, and demonstrates the power of collaboration,” Co-Chair of the Nations Championship, Ronan Dunne, said.
The tournament will bring together the very best from across the game, elevating rugby on a global scale, but its power to alter the sport’s trajectory and usher in a new era of sustained growth stands to be a hallmark of the Nations Championship.”
Co-Chair of the Nations Championship, Mark Alexander, added: “The Nations Championship has been several years in the making, and its launch next year reflects strong collaboration between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, and our vision to deliver the best rugby action at the elite end of our great sport.
Japan and Fiji have shown how competitive they are on the international stage, and by joining the Nations Championship, they have clarity on their consistent opportunities to compete at the highest level. The Nations Championship offers a truly global platform for the sport to shine, and by bringing the strongest rugby nations together, into a cohesive tournament format, the ambition to drive game-wide growth is confirmed.”
