England to Face South Africa in Inaugural Nations Championship match
LONDON – England will kick off their campaign in the newly-formed Nations Championship with a match against South Africa next summer, as the competition reshapes the landscape of international rugby union. The 12-team tournament, replacing traditional tours and set to be held every two years, will see teams divided into two conferences: the Six Nations and a combined group featuring the four Sanzaar nations – South africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina - alongside Japan and Fiji.
The inaugural format will see England,Scotland,and Wales play the same three opponents in the first window next summer. Together, France, Italy, and Ireland will travel to face New Zealand, Australia, and Japan, with Japan matches anticipated to be hosted in either New Zealand or Australia.
The fixture list will then reverse in the autumn, with England hosting New Zealand – whom they recently defeated at Twickenham for the first time in 13 years – as well as Australia and Japan. Points will be tallied across both windows, culminating in a finals day at Twickenham next November.
“The Nations Championship has the power to redefine the future of rugby, and the partnership between Six Nations Rugby and Sanzaar signals a tectonic shift in the sport,” saeid Six Nations chief executive Tom Harrison. ”RugbyS strongest nations have collaborated with a clear vision to grow the game, by challenging traditional ways of operating to create a tournament structure with genuine global relevance, which will unlock the true value of the sport.”
