Springboks versus England ‘blockbuster’ to ignite new Nations Championship as six rounds of fixtures confirmed leading into ‘wall-to-wall’ finals weekend in London
England and South Africa get stuck into each other at Rugby World Cup 2023 while, inset, France's Antoine Dupont has a cut at the All Blacks.
The six rounds of cross-hemisphere fixtures for the new Nations Championship next year have been confirmed.
Three rounds in the southern hemisphere in July will be followed by three more in the north in November, with the 2026 finals weekend for all 12 teams then taking place in London on week seven.
Steve Borthwick’s England will kick off their campaign with a blockbuster July 4 trip to South Africa, followed by games away to Fiji and Argentina. Andy Farrell’s Ireland have been handed an away schedule that starts in Australia, moves onto Japan and then ends in New Zealand.
Fabien Galthie’s France have New Zealand, Australia and Japan on their away list, while Gregor Townsend’s Scotland will face Argentina, South Africa and Fiji on their travels.
All Blacks have matches away to Scotland, Wales and England
Rounding off the July window in the southern hemisphere are the matches involving Wales and Italy, the remaining two Six Nations countries. Stave Tandy’s Welsh have Fiji, Argentina and South Africa on their itinerary with Gonzalo Quesada’s Italians lined up against Japan, New Zealand and Australia.
The new cross-hemisphere tournament will then pause for a four-month break before resuming in Europe in November. Scott Robertson’s All Blacks have matches away to Scotland, Wales and England who beat them last Saturday in the 2025 Autumn Nations Series.
Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks will play Italy, France and Ireland, with Les Kiss’ Wallabies due to face England, Scotland and Wales.
Felipe Contepomi’s Argentina have fixtures in Ireland, Italy and France, Eddie Jones’ Japan will be in Wales, England and Scotland, and Mick Byrne’s Fiji in France, Ireland and Italy.
The seventh round of the new Championship will be a finals weekend that will be staged in London, the capital of sports betting in the UK, with double headers taking place across three days at Allianz Stadium Twickenham.
Top of the bill will be the meeting of the No.1 sides in the respective Northern and South Hemisphere groups and the cross-over fixtures will continue with second place versus second all the way to sixth place versus sixth.
A statement read: “Fierce cross hemisphere rivalries will be put on the global stage when the Nations Championship debuts in July 2026. A landmark joint venture agreed between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, to create the new biennial tournament, signals a watershed moment for rugby union, years in the making.
“Ratified by World Rugby Council in 2023, the introduction of the Nations Championship is part of a broader package of reform to the global rugby calendars, which have been shaped by members from across the whole sport: unions, federations, clubs, leagues, tournament organisers, players and their associations, and World Rugby.
“Twelve of the strongest international rugby nations in the world, packed with the best players in the sport, will form two groups of six teams. The Six Nations teams represent the northern hemisphere, and will face the SANZAAR nations, plus invitational teams Japan and Fiji, who complete the line up representing the southern hemisphere.
“The finals weekend will deliver wall-to-wall elite sporting entertainment to fans, with three days of double headers taking centre stage at Allianz Stadium in London… Adding to the sporting jeopardy of the finals weekend, teams will also be competing to earn points for their group to decide the winning hemisphere in the sport that year.”
Six Nations CEO Tom Harrison said: “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.
“Rugby’s 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.”
Brendan Morris, the SANZAAR CEO, added: “The establishment of the Nations Championship is a historic and exciting move for rugby that will see the SANZAAR member unions, with the addition of Fiji and Japan, take on the best of Europe and the northern hemisphere on a biennial basis.
“SANZAAR nations have a proud and successful record at international level. Our aim is to continue this record, and the Nations Championship, along with our rugby calendar for the 2026-2030 period, will provide the perfect pathway for continued success.”
Eddie Jones sledges skint Welsh Rugby and calls on World Rugby to act on ‘absurd’ red cards
Ronan Dunne, co-chair of the Nations Championship, said: “The Nations Championship, and its introduction into the international rugby calendar, is a transformational moment for the entire sport, and demonstrates the power of collaboration.
“The tournament will bring together the very best from across the game, elevating rugby on a global scale, but its power to alter the sport’s trajectory and usher in a new era of sustained growth stands to be a hallmark of the Nations Championship.”
Mark Alexander, another co-chair, added: “The Nations Championship has been several years in the making, and its launch next year reflects strong collaboration between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, and our vision to deliver the best rugby action at the elite end of our great sport.
“Japan and Fiji have shown how competitive they are on the international stage, and by joining the Nations Championship, they have clarity on their consistent opportunities to compete at the highest level.
“The Nations Championship offers a truly global platform for the sport to shine, and by bringing the strongest rugby nations together into a cohesive tournament format, the ambition to drive game-wide growth is confirmed.”
Visit the new Nations Championship website and see all the fixtures and learn more.