The inaugural Nations Championship kicks off its November international window on Friday, November 6, 2026, bringing together 12 of the world’s top rugby union nations for a revamped global calendar. The tournament culminates in a Finals Weekend hosted at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium from November 27 to 29.
What Is the Nations Championship Structure?
World Rugby designed the 12-team tournament to align northern and southern hemisphere rugby calendars, guaranteeing high-profile fixtures between the two hemispheres. The competition features the six Six Nations sides—England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Italy—alongside four Rugby Championship teams (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina), plus Fiji and Japan. Each participating team plays six total matches: three during the July window in the southern hemisphere and three in November in the northern hemisphere. Rankings for the concluding Finals Weekend at Allianz Stadium are determined by the results from those opening six fixtures.
November 2026 Fixtures and Match Schedule
The November northern hemisphere block features three rounds of matches ahead of the November 27–29 finals at Twickenham. The opening weekend begins on Friday, November 6, with Ireland facing Argentina at 8:10 PM. Saturday, November 7, features four fixtures: Italy meets South Africa at 11:40 AM, Scotland plays New Zealand at 2:10 PM, Wales hosts Japan at 4:40 PM, and France takes on Fiji at 8:10 PM. England closes the opening weekend against Australia on Sunday, November 8, at 3:10 PM. Round two follows on Friday, November 13, as France plays South Africa at 8:10 PM. Saturday, November 14, brings Italy against Argentina at 11:40 AM, Wales against New Zealand at 2:10 PM, England against Japan at 4:40 PM, and Ireland against Fiji at 8:10 PM. Scotland faces Australia on Sunday, November 15, at 3:10 PM. The final round of pool matches takes place on Saturday, November 21, featuring England versus New Zealand, Scotland versus Japan, Ireland versus South Africa, Italy versus Fiji, France versus Argentina, and Wales versus Australia.
LATEST NEWSThe Rugby Championship YouTube channel has a new name and location.Head to @SANZAARTV for all official highlights of the 2026 Nations Championship, future Rugby Championship matches, all other SANZAAR international rugby plus archived historical matches…… pic.twitter.com/ZC6ur18gJk
— https://x.com/SanzarTRC/status/2077233974246617176
Finals Weekend at Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium hosts the inaugural Finals Weekend from November 27 to 29, 2026, where the tournament’s first champions will be crowned. The match pairings are determined by the final standings from the opening six rounds. On Friday, November 27, the sixth-place northern team plays the sixth-place southern team, followed by the third-place northern team against the third-place southern team. On Saturday, November 28, the fifth-place teams meet, alongside the second-place matchups. The tournament concludes on Sunday, November 29, with the fourth-place playoff preceding the first-place final between the top-ranked northern and southern hemisphere sides.
Rugby Calendar Through 2035
The Nations Championship anchors rugby’s international calendar in alternating years over the next decade. The tournament operates in 2026, 2028, 2030, 2032, and 2034. These years fit alongside the Rugby World Cup—hosted in Australia in 2027 and the United States in 2031—and the British and Irish Lions tours to New Zealand in 2029 and South Africa in 2033.
Related reading