Nations Championship 2026 Full Fixtures

International rugby union's newest venture, the Nations Championship, makes its debut on the world stage in July 2026, kicking off a new, exciting era that promises to inject fresh energy into the sport.

Played across six rounds before a thrilling Championship Finals climax in November, this newly-formed competition pits the best teams from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres against each other in a showcase of high-class, high-stakes rugby.

Nations Championship tickets for every game of the 2026 edition are likely to sell out quickly, though here at LiveRugbyTickets.co.uk, you'll be able to secure seats from our trusted resellers through our ticketing platform.

To help you prepare your plans to attend, we've put together this comprehensive Nations Championship 2026 guide, with information on fixtures, dates, venues, the teams involved and how you can catch the action live.

What is the Nations Championship?

The Nations Championship is a new, landmark joint venture between Six Nations Rugby (Northern Hemisphere) and SANZAAR (Southern Hemisphere), that aims to create a tournament which will add extra zest and jeopardy to rugby union's traditional summer and autumn international test match windows.

Formulated and ratified by the World Rugby Council in 2023, the biennial Nations Championship reworks the international rugby calendar by adding a more competitive, unified and lucrative tournament format that involves all of the biggest teams from the northern and southern hemispheres.

Expect elite-level rugby, high drama, a renewal of rivalries and a string of showpiece fixtures that culminate with the 2026 Nations Championship Finals in November. This promises to be a must-see event for rugby fans around the world, and you'll be able to buy Nations Championship tickets through our secure online platform.

How the Nations Championship Works: The Format

Before lining up 2026 Nations Championship tickets, you should familiarise yourself with the new tournament's format. The new structure is designed to add incentive and jeopardy to every single fixture and round.

The first phase sees the 12 competing teams split into two pools of six. Six teams come from the Northern Hemisphere and six from the Southern Hemisphere.

Each team plays all six nations from the opposite pool, both home and away, in a league-style format, called the Northern Hemisphere Series and the Southern Hemisphere Series, with points awarded for wins (4) and draws (2), with further bonus points given for teams that score 4+ tries in a match.

After the pool stage finishes, all 12 teams progress to the Finals Weekend. There, sides face off against the nation that finished in the exact same position in the opposite pool. For example, a team that finishes 4^th^ in the Northern Hemisphere would play the team that finishes 4^th^ in the Southern Hemisphere standings.

The Nations Championship tournament concludes with a Grand Final between the two first-placed teams at Twickenham Stadium in London at the end of November.

The Nations Championship Pools

Northern Hemisphere Pool

• England

• France

• Ireland

• Italy

• Scotland

• Wales

Southern Hemisphere Pool

• Argentina

• Australia

• New Zealand

• South Africa

• Japan

• Fiji

Nations Championship 2026 full fixtures

The 2026 Nations Championship kicks off with three weekends of summer matches in July, when teams from the Southern Hemisphere act as the home sides.

The format flips in November, when members of the Northern Hemisphere pool will host their counterparts in rounds 4, 5 and 6. On our site, you'll be able to find and buy Nations Championship tickets for every game. Here is the full fixture list for the 2026 Nations Championship (all kick-off times BST):

Saturday 4 July 2026

• New Zealand v France -- 08:10 -- One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch

• Japan v Italy -- 09:40 -- Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo

• Australia v Ireland -- 11:10 -- Allianz Stadium, Sydney

• Fiji v Wales -- 14:10 -- Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff

• South Africa v England -- 16:40 -- Ellis Park, Johannesburg

• Argentina v Scotland -- 20:10 -- Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba

Saturday 11 July 2026

• New Zealand v Italy -- 06:10 -- Sky Stadium, Wellington

• Australia v France -- 08:40 -- Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

• Japan v Ireland -- 11:10 -- McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle

• Fiji v England -- 14:10 -- Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool

• South Africa v Scotland -- 16:40 -- Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

• Argentina v Wales -- 20:10 -- Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan

Saturday 18 July 2026

• New Zealand v Ireland -- 08:10 -- Eden Park, Auckland

• Japan v France -- 09:40 -- Japan National Stadium, Tokyo

• Australia v Italy -- 11:10 -- HBF Park, Perth

• Fiji v Scotland -- 14:10 -- Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh

• South Africa v Wales -- 16:40 -- Kings Park Stadium, Durban

• Argentina v England -- 20:10 -- Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades, Santiago del Estero

Friday 6 November 2026

• Ireland v Argentina -- 20:10 -- Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Saturday 7 November 2026

• Italy v South Africa -- 11:40 -- Venue TBC

• Scotland v New Zealand -- 14:10 -- Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh

• Wales v Japan -- 16:40 -- Principality Stadium, Cardiff

• France v Fiji -- 20:10 -- Groupama Stadium, Lyon

Sunday 8 November 2026

• England v Australia -- 15:10 -- Allianz Stadium, Twickenham

Friday 13 November 2026

• France v South Africa -- 20:10 -- Stade de France, Saint-Denis

Saturday 14 November 2026

• Italy v Argentina -- 11:40 -- Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa

• Wales v New Zealand -- 14:10 -- Principality Stadium, Cardiff

• England v Japan -- 16:40 -- Allianz Stadium, Twickenham

• Ireland v Fiji -- 20:10 -- Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Sunday 15 November 2026

• Scotland v Australia -- 15:10 -- Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Saturday 21 November 2026

• England v New Zealand -- 14:10 -- Allianz Stadium, Twickenham

• Scotland v Japan -- 14:10 -- Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh

• Ireland v South Africa -- 16:40 -- Aviva Stadium, Dublin

• Italy v Fiji -- 16:40 -- Venue TBC

• Wales v Australia -- 20:10 -- Principality Stadium, Cardiff

• France v Argentina -- 20:10 -- Stade de France, Saint-Denis

Finals Weekend for the 2026 Nations Championship will see six Test match fixtures played across three thrilling days at London's Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, where fans in attendance will be treated to a series of climactic contests. Here is the current schedule:

Friday 27 November 2026

• 11th-place play-off & 9th-place play-off

Saturday 28 November 2026

• 7th-place play-off & 5th-place play-off

Sunday 29 November 2026

• 3rd-place play-off & Nations Championship Final

Why are Fiji not playing their home games in Fiji?

Unfortunately for Fiji, they don't have a stadium in their homeland that meets the requirements of the Nations Championship. The tournament requires a venue with a minimum capacity of 25,000, with at least 50% of those seats undercover.

In the face of those factors, Fiji have decided to play their "host" matches in Liverpool, Cardiff and Edinburgh, where their share of the ticketing revenues are likely to be much higher than the figures they would have pulled in had their matches been played in Fiji.

The future of the Nations Championship: promotion and relegation

The Nations Championship is set to undergo further evolution over the next couple of years. The tournament's first two editions, in 2026 and 2027, won't feature relegation, however, in the future, that's expected to change.

International sides like Georgia, the USA, Uruguay and others are expected to join, with a full expansion from 12 to 24 teams already muted for the competition. Further changes to rugby union's international calendar are likely to be introduced to make the Nations Championship an even more prestigious event.

Who are the favourites to win the 2026 Nations Championship?

With a chance to make history and earn the biggest cut of the prize purse, competition to win the first-ever Nations Championship is certain to be stuff, though many pundits and supporters have picked out South Africa as their favourites to triumph, and the Springboks have been dominating betting markets to win the tournament outright.

Here are the favourites to win the Nations Championship in 2026 based on the latest odds.

• South Africa 2/1

• France 3/1

• New Zealand 4/1

• England 11/2

• Australia 14/1

• Argentina 18/1

• Scotland 28/1

• Wales 125/1

• Fiji 200/1

• Italy 200/1

• Japan 500/1

Buying tickets for the 2026 Nations Championship

If you're asking "how can I buy tickets for the 2026 Nations Championship?", you've come to the right place. At LiveRugbyTickets.co.uk, we're delighted to be able to take you to the heart of the action.

On our secure booking system, you can buy your Nations Championship tickets from our resellers, as well as other rugby tickets to the best matches across the UK, Europe and around the world.

Whether you're backing England, supporting Scotland, cheering for Wales or standing shoulder to shoulder with Ireland, our wide range of tickets ensures you have plenty of tickets to choose from.

You can purchase tickets seamlessly and securely online or by calling our rugby ticket hotline. Our experienced team is there to guide you every step of the way to help you secure your seats.

All tickets for the Nations Championship are sold via our trusted ticket resellers. Grab your Nations Championship 2026 tickets today!