Nations Championship reshapes international rugby with Twickenham finals

The inaugural Men’s Rugby Nations Championship is set to fundamentally restructure the international rugby calendar, replacing traditional summer tours and the Autumn Nations Series. Announced during the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the biennial competition unites the six Six Nations nations with the four Rugby Championship sides, joined by Japan and Fiji to form a top 12 field. The tournament comprises 12 matches split evenly between July and November, with results determining seedings for the finals weekend at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, from 27 to 29 November 2026.

The competition format is designed to add context to the international window, with each team matched against an equivalent qualifier from the opposing hemisphere pool. The Northern Hemisphere pool consists of France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, England, and Wales, while the Southern Hemisphere pool includes South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, Fiji, and Japan. Although Japan is classified in the southern section, Fiji will host their fixtures in the United Kingdom, a logistical arrangement that highlights the tournament's global scope.

The finals weekend will feature three days of double-headers at Twickenham, culminating in a final match between the top-placed team from the Northern Hemisphere pool and the top-placed team from the Southern Hemisphere pool. The winner of this marquee fixture will lift the first Nations Championship trophy. Additionally, a separate hemisphere title will be awarded to the hemisphere that wins more final matches, with the 1st versus 1st match worth two points and all other finals matches worth one point.

Promotion and relegation to a second-tier Nations Cup is planned for the future but will not occur in 2026. Instead, the finals weekend will determine overall placings through a series of classification matches. These include the eleventh place final between the sixth-placed teams, the ninth place final between the fifth-placed teams, and so on, down to the third place final between the second-placed teams.

ITV holds exclusive broadcasting rights for the United Kingdom, ensuring free-to-air coverage of every game. Kick-off times and locations for some fixtures remain to be confirmed, including France versus Fiji and Wales versus Japan. The remaining fixtures have scheduled start times across Durban, Santiago del Estero, Dublin, Edinburgh, Paris, and Twickenham, with the final set for 4.40pm GMT on 29 November.