The New Nations Championship Explained


International rugby is having one of the biggest structural changes in decades. Starting in 2026, the Nations Championship will bring together the strongest teams from the northern and southern hemispheres in a brand-new global tournament. The competition aims to reshape how international rugby is played between World Cups.

What Is the Nations Championship?

The Nations Championship is a 12-team global tournament created by World Rugby. It will combine the leading nations from the northern and southern hemispheres into a single competition played across the traditional July and November international windows.

The goal is simple:

  • Guarantee regular high-profile fixtures
  • Create a tournament structure with clear stakes and a final champion

Instead of standalone summer tours and autumn tests, matches will now form part of a structured competition.

Which Teams Are Involved?

The tournament features the six teams from the Six Nations Championship and the four nations from The Rugby Championship, alongside two additional Pacific and Asian teams.

Northern Hemisphere Teams

  • England
  • France
  • Ireland
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Italy

Southern Hemisphere Teams

  • South Africa
  • New Zealand
  • Australia
  • Argentina

Additional Nations

  • Fiji
  • Japan

This line up brings together the majority of the world’s top-ranked rugby nations into one global competition.


Fixtures


When Does It Start?

The inaugural tournament will begin 4th July 2026 with the Southern Hemisphere Series.

After its launch, the Nations Championship will be played every two years, in seasons that do not feature either:

  • the Rugby World Cup, or
  • a British & Irish Lions tour.

This means the competition will appear in 2026, 2028, 2030, 2032, and beyond.

How the Tournament Format Works

Each team will play six matches in total during the competition.

Three matches in July

  • Hosted in the southern hemisphere.

Three matches in November

  • Hosted in the northern hemisphere.

These games will form the main league phase of the tournament.

The results from these six matches determine the rankings heading into the Finals Weekend, where teams will face their corresponding opponent from the opposite hemisphere.

For example:

  • 1st North vs 1st South
  • 2nd North vs 2nd South
  • 3rd North vs 3rd South
  • And so on through all 12 teams.

Why This Is Such a Big Deal?

For decades, international rugby has been divided between the northern and southern hemispheres. Tours and autumn tests provided exciting games, but they were largely standalone fixtures without broader tournament meaning.

The Nations Championship changes that.

According to officials from the Six Nations Rugby, the tournament aims to:

  • Create consistent, high-stakes international matches
  • Build global rivalries between hemispheres
  • Increase the commercial and broadcast value of rugby
  • Grow the sport worldwide

Fans can expect more regular clashes such as England vs South Africa or Ireland vs New Zealand, which historically happened only occasionally.

The inclusion of Fiji and Japan is widely seen as a major opportunity for both countries.

Regular matches against top-tier opposition could accelerate their development in the same way Argentina improved dramatically after joining the Rugby Championship in 2012.

For nations like Fiji in particular, the new competition provides a global platform to showcase their talent on a regular basis.

Exclusive Access

The Nations Championship is one of the most ambitious reforms in rugby history. At DTB, we are your ultimate gateway to these marquee matches. We offer VIP access to sold-out games so you can secure the best seats when the world’s top teams collide. Through our premium hospitality partnerships, you do more than just watch the match. You experience it from luxury lounges with fine dining and prime seating.

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