This summer of rugby is about to look different than ever before. The inaugural version of the Nations Championship, a new world rugby tournament to fill the summers between the Rugby World Cup and the British and Irish Lions tour, is set to kick off. The first half of the tournament is set to be played this July.
The tournament is set to bring together 12 of the world’s best rugby nations in a single competitive tournament. Here’s everything you need to know before the tournament gets going on July 4th.
The Nations Championship has been brought in to replace the summer international window. It turns a handful of international games into a worldwide, cross-hemisphere tournament, replacing the tours of past years. This 2026 edition is the first of its kind, and it will be held every two years going forward.
Twelve nations have been split into two groups of six. The Six Nations countries, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, form the Northern Hemisphere group. They face a Southern Hemisphere group made up of the four Rugby Championship sides, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Argentina, alongside invitational teams Fiji and Japan.
Oddsmakers currently have South Africa as the favourites with 12/5 odds, with France and New Zealand close behind at 4/1, and England and Ireland following on at 5/1. Rugby fans can use GOAL to find some UK free bets if they want to get involved in betting on the Nations Championship.
This is the most significant structural change in international rugby since the game turned professional in 1995. What would usually be a time reserved for international tours and friendlies is now a competitive tournament. This change has attracted its fair share of critics, but it remains to be seen how successful it really is.
The tournament will be spread between July and November. Each team plays six fixtures over the group stage, playing every member of the alternate group.In July, the Northern Hemisphere teams travel south for three rounds of fixtures. In November, the Southern Hemisphere sides make the trip north.
Round one will be taking place primarily in the Southern Hemisphere, kicking off on July 4th with South Africa playing England at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Each side will play out their group, and then meet in London for the finals in November.
The tournament concludes with a three-day festival of rugby at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, from the 27th to the 29th November 2026. All 12 teams descend on London, with the top-ranked side from each group meeting in the grand final to decide the inaugural Nations Championship champions.