Nations Championship 2026: A Comprehensive Guide

The Nations Championship is international rugby’s newest competition, uniting the world’s top 12 teams in a bi-annual tournament. Beginning in July 2026, the competition aims to align the global rugby calendar and elevate the sport on a global scale. This guide provides everything you need to know about the tournament, including participating teams, format, fixtures, and broadcasting details.

Nations Championship 2026: Overview

• Dates: Saturday, July 4 – Sunday, November 29, 2026
• Participating Teams: Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Wales
• TV Rights: ITV holds the UK broadcasting rights for the competition from 2026-2030.

Nations Championship 2026: Format

The Nations Championship will feature 12 teams, divided equally between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The tournament will consist of three rounds of fixtures in the Southern Hemisphere during the summer and three rounds in the Northern Hemisphere in the autumn. The competition will culminate in a finals weekend at Twickenham Stadium in November.

The Nations Championship will run alongside, and not replace, the existing Six Nations and Rugby Championship tournaments. It is a joint venture organized by the organizers of both existing competitions.

Nations Championship 2026: Fixtures

Round 1: Saturday, July 4, 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 – Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium, Cordoba

Round 2: Saturday, July 11, 2026

• New Zealand vs. Italy – Sky Stadium, Wellington
• Australia vs. France – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
• Japan vs. Ireland – Venue TBC
• Fiji vs. England – Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
• South Africa vs. Scotland – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
• Argentina vs. Wales – San Juan de Bicentenario Stadium, San Juan

Round 3: Saturday, July 18, 2026

• Japan vs. France – Tokyo National 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 – Unique Mother of Cities Stadium, Santiago del Estero

Round 4: November 6-8, 2026

• Ireland vs. Argentina – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
• Italy vs. South Africa – Venue TBC
• Scotland vs. New Zealand – Murrayfield, Edinburgh
• Wales vs. Japan – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
• France vs. Fiji – Venue TBC
• England vs. Australia – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham

Round 5: November 13-15, 2026

• France vs. South Africa – Venue TBC
• Italy vs. Argentina – Venue TBC
• 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, November 21, 2026

• England vs. New Zealand – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
• Scotland vs. Japan – Murrayfield, Edinburgh
• Ireland vs. South Africa – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
• Italy vs. Fiji – Venue TBC
• France vs. Argentina – Venue TBC
• Wales vs. Australia – Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Finals Weekend: November 27-29, 2026

Fixtures TBC – to be played at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

Nations Championship 2026: Squads

Squads for all 12 teams will be announced in 2026.