After a meeting with the Springboks at the end of the current domestic season, returning to South Africa for the first time since a three-Test series in 2018, England’s Nations Championship campaign continues with away fixtures against Fiji and Argentina. Then, next November, they will lead into finals weekend by hosting Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
Scotland meet Argentina, South Africa and Fiji in July before welcoming Australia, New Zealand and Japan four months later. Ireland have Australia, Japan and New Zealand in July with Argentina, Fiji and the Springboks at home in November.
Finally, Wales’ July schedule comprises games against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa. In November, they will host Japan, New Zealand and Australia.
‘Tectonic shift in the sport’
Powerbrokers are confident that the Nations Championship will generate significant revenue. Tom Harrison, the chief executive of the Six Nations, declared that it “has the power to redefine the future of rugby”. He claimed that the partnership between his organisation and SANZAAR “signals a tectonic shift in the sport.”
The Nations Championship will take place in the years without either a World Cup or a British and Irish Lions tour and was ratified by the World Rugby Council in 2023. There will be no impact on the Six Nations, which is staged in a different international window between February and March.
World Rugby intends to launch a separate, second-division competition for 12 other sides to have qualified for the World Cup. This will also run in November and July. Georgia are currently ranked 11th, above both Wales and Japan.
Venues and timings for the Nations Championship, as well as broadcast arrangements, are yet to be confirmed.
“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,” Harrison added.
“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.”
