Everything you need to know about the new Nations Championships including fixtures, format and more
The Nations Championship is international rugby’s newest competition.
The bi-annual tournament will combine 12 side from around the globe in fixtures across the summer and autumn, beginning in July 2026.
It will unite the six European team in the Six Nations (England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy), the four Rugby Championship sides (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina) as well as Fiji and Japan in this attempt to align the global rugby calendar.
Related: Autumn Nations Series all you need to know
With fixtures played across the northern and southern hemisphere with the finals taking place at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham from 27 to 29 November.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 07: Maro Itoje of England passes the ball during the Guinness Six Nations 2026 match between England and Wales at Allianz Stadium on February 07, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Co-Chair of the Nations Championship, Ronan Dunne, said: “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.
“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.”
Japan and Fiji are included despite not being a part of the Six Nations or Rugby Championship.
Brendan Morris, CEO of SANZAAR, said: “We warmly welcome our Pacific neighbours Japan and Fiji 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.”
While Six Nations CEO Tom Harrison added: “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.”
Below is everything you need to know about the competition.
Related: Nations Championship confirmed
Nations Championship 2026: Overview
– Dates: Saturday 4 July – Sunday 29 November, 2026
– Participating teams: Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Wales
– TV rights: ITV hold the UK broadcasting rights for the new competition from 2026-2030
Siya Kolisi of South Africa celebrates after winning The Rugby Championship match between New Zealand All Blacks and South Africa (Getty Images)
Nations Championship 2026: Format
The competition will happen once every two years and involve 12 teams. Six are northern hemisphere teams and six are southern hemisphere. There will be three rounds of fixtures played in the southern hemisphere in the summer and three played in the northern hemisphere in the autumn.
The games will then culminate in a finals weekend, reportedly all taking place at Twickenham in November.
Fans may notice that Fiji are not playing at home in the southern hemisphere matches. The team have instead decided to play the matches in the north hemisphere for commercial reasons.
The Nations Championship will not affect the Six Nations or the Rugby Championship. The new competition has been launched as a joint venture by the organisers of both of the other tournaments.
France’s scrum-half Antoine Dupont makes a break during the Six Nations international rugby union match between Wales and France at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, south Wales, on February 15, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. Use in books subject to Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) approval.
Nations Championship 2026: Fixtures
The venues and kick-off times for the northern hemisphere fixtures are TBC with kick-offs for the southern hemisphere also TBC
Round 1: Saturday 4 July 2026
- New Zealand vs France
One New Zealand stadium, Christchurch - Australia vs Ireland
Allianz Stadium, Sydney - Japan vs Italy
Tokyo Chichibuomiya Stadium, Tokyo - Fiji vs Wales
Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff - South Africa vs England
Ellis Park, Johannesburg - Argentina vs Scotland
Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Cordoba
Round 2: Saturday 11 July 2026
- New Zealand vs Italy
Sky Stadium, Wellington - Australia vs France
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane - Japan vs Ireland
TBC - Fiji vs England
Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool - South Africa vs Scotland
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria - Argentina vs Wales
Estadio San Juan de Bicentenario, San Juan
Read more: Rugby Championship fixtures
Round 3: Saturday 18 July 2026
- Japan vs France
Tokyo Nation Stadium, Tokyo - New Zealand vs Ireland
Eden Park, Auckland - Australia vs Italy
HBF Park, Perth - Fiji vs Scotland
Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh - South Africa vs Wales
Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban - Argentina vs England
Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades, Santiago del Estero
Round 4: 6-8 November 2026
- Ireland vs Argentina
Aviva Stadium, Dublin - Italy vs South Africa
- Scotland vs New Zealand
Murrayfield, Edinburgh - Wales vs Japan
Principality Stadium, Cardiff - France vs Fiji
- England vs Australia
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Round 5: 13-15 November 2026
- France vs South Africa
- Italy vs Argentina
- Wales vs New Zealand
Principality Stadium, Cardiff - England vs Japan
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham - Ireland vs Fiji
Aviva Stadium, Dublin - Scotland vs Australia
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Round 6: Saturday 21 November 2026
- England vs New Zealand
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham - Scotland vs Japan
Murrayfield, Edinburgh - Ireland vs South Africa
Aviva Stadium, Dublin - Italy vs Fiji
- France vs Argentina
- Wales vs Australia
Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Finals weekend: 27-29 November 2026
Fixtures TBC – to be played at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Nations Championship 2026: Squads
The squads for all 12 teams will be updated when they are announced in 2026.
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