World Rugby unveils Nations Championship format

World Rugby has confirmed details of the inaugural Nations Championship, set to begin in July 2026.

The new biennial 12-team Nations Championship will culminate with a “Finals Weekend” on 27–29 November 2026 at Allianz Stadium Twickenham in London, it has been confirmed.

Six rounds of fixtures—three in July and three in November—will determine the top northern and southern hemisphere teams, who will then face off in a final to decide the champion.

Teams from the northern hemisphere (England, Ireland, France, Italy, Scotland and Wales) will compete against six southern hemisphere participants (Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan and Fiji).

Each team will play all six of the opposite-hemisphere sides across the July and November windows. The winner from each group will meet in London to determine the first champion of this revamped global competition.

For instance, Ireland will play Australia, Japan and New Zealand in July, then welcome Argentina, Fiji and South Africa in Dublin in November.

London’s Allianz Stadium will host three days of back-to-back double-headers, culminating in the 1st vs 1st final.

The event also introduces a distinct “hemisphere” trophy, with northern and southern nations vying for supremacy.

Six Nations CEO Tom Harrison described the event as a “tectonic shift”, aimed at delivering high-stakes matchups and elevating international rugby’s global relevance. He said the finals weekend will “act as a catalyst to grow rugby’s reach, globally.”

"By bringing together the best teams and players in the sport and injecting another layer to the fierce cross-hemisphere rivalries, the Nations Championship will take international rugby to new heights, added Harrison.