Nations Championship Explained: Everything you need to know ahead of July's Southern Series
Rugby NewsMonday, 29 June 2026 at 16:27
The inaugural Nations Championship gets underway in July, ushering in a new era for international rugby.
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Featuring the world's 12 leading Test nations, the competition will replace the traditional standalone Summer tours and Autumn Test windows with a connected global tournament where every match counts.
Split across six rounds before a Finals Weekend at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, the Nations Championship promises heavyweight clashes from the opening weekend, including New Zealand v France, South Africa v England and Australia v Ireland.
Here's everything you need to know.
Nations Championship explained: Which teams are competing?
The tournament features 12 nations divided into two conferences. The sextet of teams from the Six Nations of the Northern Hemisphere, take on the quartet of the Rugby Championship. The 10 Tier One rugby nations are then joined by Pacific Nations Cup heavyweights Japan and Fiji.
Northern Conference
- England
- France
- Ireland
- Italy
- Scotland
- Wales
Southern Conference
- Argentina
- Australia
- Fiji
- Japan
- New Zealand
- South Africa
Unlike a traditional league, teams do not play sides in their own conference.
Instead, every Northern Hemisphere nation plays all six Southern Hemisphere teams once, while every Southern Hemisphere nation faces each of the six Northern Hemisphere sides.
Each team therefore plays:
- Six matches
- Three home fixtures
- Three away fixtures
How does the format work?
The tournament is split across two international windows.
Summer window - Southern Series
- Round 1 – Saturday 4 July
- Round 2 – Saturday 11 July
- Round 3 – Saturday 18 July
Southern Hemisphere nations host the opening three rounds, although Fiji's designated home fixtures are played in the UK due to stadium requirements, with Japan also 'hosting' in Australia.
Autumn window - Northern Series
- Round 4 – 6–8 November
- Round 5 – 13–15 November
- Round 6 – 21 November
How are points awarded?
The Nations Championship uses the standard World Rugby competition points system.
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Win | 4 |
| Draw | 2 |
| Loss | 0 |
| Score four or more tries | +1 bonus point |
| Lose by seven points or fewer | +1 bonus point |
If teams finish level on points, standard tie-breakers including points difference and tries scored determine the standings.
What is Finals Weekend?
Each of the 12 teams will progress to Finals Weekend, held at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham between 27-29 November 2026.
Rather than semi-finals, each nation plays the side that finishes in the same position in the opposite conference.
The fixtures are:
- Northern 6th vs Southern 6th (11th-place play-off)
- Northern 5th vs Southern 5th (9th-place play-off)
- Northern 4th vs Southern 4th (7th-place play-off)
- Northern 3rd vs Southern 3rd (5th-place play-off)
- Northern 2nd vs Southern 2nd (3rd-place play-off)
- Northern 1st vs Southern 1st (Nations Championship Final)
2026 Nations Championship fixtures
Round 1 – Saturday 4 July
| Match | Venue | Local KO | UK KO |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand vs France | One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch | 7:10pm | 8:10am BST |
| Japan vs Italy | Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, Tokyo | 5:40pm | 9:40am BST |
| Australia vs Ireland | Allianz Stadium, Sydney | 8:10pm | 11:10am BST |
| Fiji vs Wales | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff | 2:10pm | 2:10pm BST |
| South Africa vs England | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | 5:40pm | 4:40pm BST |
| Argentina vs Scotland | Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba | 4:10pm | 8:10pm BST |
Five matches you won't want to miss in Round 1
The tournament opens with a blockbuster in Christchurch as New Zealand host France, a fixture many believe could easily become a preview of the championship final.
Ireland begin with a trip to Sydney to face Australia, while England travel with the odds against them to Ellis Park, where South Africa remain one of the hardest teams in world rugby to beat.
Meanwhile, Scotland face a daunting opening assignment in Córdoba against high-flying Argentina, while Wales meet Fiji in Cardiff in what will officially count as one of Fiji's designated home fixtures.
Round 2 – Saturday 11 July
| Match | Venue | Local KO | UK KO |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand vs Italy | Hnry Stadium, Wellington | 5:10pm | 6:10am BST |
| Australia vs France | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | 5:40pm | 8:40am BST |
| Japan vs Ireland | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle | 8:10pm | 11:10am BST |
| Fiji vs England | Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool | 2:10pm | 2:10pm BST |
| South Africa vs Scotland | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | 5:40pm | 4:40pm BST |
| Argentina vs Wales | Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan | 4:10pm | 8:10pm BST |
Round 3 – Saturday 18 July
| Match | Venue | Local KO | UK KO |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand vs Ireland | Eden Park, Auckland | 7:10pm | 8:10am BST |
| Japan vs France | MUFG Stadium, Tokyo | 5:40pm | 9:40am BST |
| Australia vs Italy | HBF Park, Perth | 6:10pm | 11:10am BST |
| Fiji vs Scotland | Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh | 2:10pm | 2:10pm BST |
| South Africa vs Wales | Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban | 5:40pm | 4:40pm BST |
| Argentina vs England | Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades, Santiago del Estero | 4:10pm | 8:10pm BST |
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