Nations Championship 2026
The Nations Championship is a new annual competition bringing together 12 of the world's top rugby nations, 6 from the Northern Hemisphere and 6 from the Southern Hemisphere, in a home-and-away round-robin format. Replacing the traditional Autumn Internationals and Rugby Championship window, every match counts in a single global standings table.
The Teams
Twelve nations compete across two hemispheres. Southern teams host in July (Rounds 1–3) while Northern teams host in November (Rounds 4–6), creating a true test of home and away form across the globe.
Northern Hemisphere
- England
- France
- Ireland
- Italy
- Scotland
- Wales
Southern Hemisphere
- Argentina
- Australia
- Fiji
- Japan
- New Zealand
- South Africa
Fixtures
July 2026 · Southern Hemisphere hosts
The Southern Hemisphere hosts the opening three rounds across July 2026.
Round 1
Saturday, 4 July 2026- New Zealand vs France
- Japan vs Italy
- Australia vs Ireland
- Fiji vs Wales
- South Africa vs England
- Argentina vs Scotland
Round 2
Saturday, 11 July 2026- New Zealand vs Italy
- Australia vs France
- Japan vs Ireland
- Fiji vs England
- South Africa vs Scotland
- Argentina vs Wales
Round 3
Saturday, 18 July 2026- New Zealand vs Ireland
- Japan vs France
- Australia vs Italy
- Fiji vs Scotland
- South Africa vs Wales
- Argentina vs England
November 2026 · Northern Hemisphere hosts
The Northern Hemisphere takes over in November for the final three rounds.
Round 4
6 November 2026 – 8 November 2026- 6 Nov Fri Ireland vs Argentina
- 7 Nov Sat Italy vs South Africa
- 7 Nov Sat Scotland vs New Zealand
- 7 Nov Sat Wales vs Japan
- 7 Nov Sat France vs Fiji
- 8 Nov Sun England vs Australia
Round 5
13 November 2026 – 15 November 2026- 13 Nov Fri France vs South Africa
- 14 Nov Sat Italy vs Argentina
- 14 Nov Sat Wales vs New Zealand
- 14 Nov Sat England vs Japan
- 14 Nov Sat Ireland vs Fiji
- 15 Nov Sun Scotland vs Australia
Round 6
Saturday, 21 November 2026- England vs New Zealand
- Scotland vs Japan
- Ireland vs South Africa
- Italy vs Fiji
- France vs Argentina
- Wales vs Australia
Standings
Standings will update once results start coming in.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | England | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Fiji | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | France | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Ireland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Scotland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | South Africa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Wales | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Northern Hemisphere
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | France | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Ireland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Scotland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Wales | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Southern Hemisphere
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Fiji | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | South Africa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Finals Weekend
27 – 29 November 2026 · Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London
The top six Northern Hemisphere teams face their Southern Hemisphere counterparts. First ranked NH plays first ranked SH, and so on. Six position-based knockout matchups crown the champions.