Christchurch, Recent Zealand will host the inaugural match of the Nations Championship, a new biennial international rugby union competition, when New Zealand takes on France on July 4, 2026, at One New Zealand Stadium.
The competition, first proposed in 2023, aims to reshape the global rugby calendar by uniting the Six Nations – England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, and Italy – with the SANZAAR nations – Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa – alongside invitational teams Fiji and Japan. The tournament will be held in even-numbered years, avoiding clashes with the British & Irish Lions tour and the Rugby World Cup, both considered commercially critical events for the sport.
Ronan Dunne, Co-Chair of the Nations Championship, described the launch as a “transformational moment” for rugby, emphasizing the power of collaboration in elevating the sport on a global scale. Brendan Morris, CEO of SANZAAR, welcomed Japan and Fiji’s inclusion, stating that participating teams, broadcasters, and fans were all enthusiastic about the competition. Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations, highlighted the collaborative effort to create a tournament structure with “genuine global relevance.”
The format will see the twelve teams divided into a “European Conference” comprising the Six Nations and a “SANZAAR and Pacific Conference” consisting of the SANZAAR nations, Fiji, and Japan. Each team will play six matches against opponents from the opposing conference across July and November test windows. The conference winners will then compete in a grand final in late November to determine the overall tournament champion. The inaugural finals weekend is scheduled to be held at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, from November 27-29, 2026.
The first round of fixtures on July 4th, 2026, as well includes Australia versus Ireland at Allianz Stadium in Sydney, Japan versus Italy at Tokyo Chichibuomiya Stadium, Fiji versus Wales at Cardiff City Stadium, and South Africa versus England at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, with Argentina hosting Scotland at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba. Further rounds of matches will be played on July 11th and 18th across both hemispheres.
Notably, Fiji will play their ‘home’ matches in the northern hemisphere, a decision made for commercial reasons. The competition organizers have confirmed that the Nations Championship will run alongside, and not replace, the existing Six Nations and Rugby Championship tournaments.
The November schedule includes matches in Rounds 4, 5 and 6, with fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Murrayfield in Edinburgh, Principality Stadium in Cardiff, and Allianz Stadium in Twickenham. Full details of kick-off times and venues for the northern hemisphere fixtures are yet to be announced.
ITV has secured the UK broadcasting rights for the Nations Championship from 2026 to 2030.
