THE Springboks will host England, Scotland, and Wales in July 2026 as the new Nations Championship launches with a northern invasion of the southern hemisphere, where every match will count as teams aim to finish the season as the top Test side on the planet.
The groundbreaking Nations Championship – a landmark joint venture between SANZAAR and Six Nations Rugby to create the new biennial tournament – was officially launched on Monday, with the 12 biggest nations in world rugby colliding in a competitive new tournament that will reshape the future of the global game.
The SANZAAR nations – South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina – plus invitational teams Japan and Fiji, will represent the Southern Hemisphere in the new competition, played in the two existing international windows in July and November, against the Six Nations teams, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
Following the six rounds, the Nations Championship will culminate in a first-of-its-kind Finals Weekend, which will be hosted at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham in London next November.
England (4 July), Scotland (11 July) and Wales (18 July) will head to South Africa for the midyear Tests, while it was also confirmed that the Boks will face Italy (weekend of 6-8 November), France (weekend of 13-15 November) and Ireland (21 November) in Europe next year to complete fixtures against all Six Nations teams.
The Finals Weekend, scheduled for 27-29 November 2026, will deliver world-class sporting entertainment to fans, with three days of double headers taking centre stage at the Allianz Stadium in London.
A totally new concept for rugby union, the Finals Weekend adds a dramatic climax to the tournament, where every fixture matters to every team, and creates an unmissable experience for players and fans alike.
The top-ranked teams in the Southern and Northern Hemisphere will battle it out to be named the first ever Champion of the new tournament. Adding to the competitive jeopardy of the Finals Weekend, teams will also be competing to earn points for their group to decide the dominant Hemisphere in the sport, that year.
By the conclusion of the Nations Championship Finals Weekend, players and fans will know the best nation in the sport, and where the balance of power lies between the two hemispheres, outside a Rugby World Cup.
The Nations Championship will not take place in 2027 as it’s a Rugby World Cup year, with a full Castle Lager Rugby Championship also on the schedule.
In 2028, the Nations Championship schedule will be reversed, with France, Ireland and Italy coming to South Africa, while the Boks will face England, Scotland and Wales in the UK.
Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, said: “The Nations Championship will transform the existing international windows in July and November, which means every Test will now count for more than just bragging rights and world ranking points.
“This new competition changes the global game as we know it, and from SA Rugby and the Springboks’ side, we are very excited about what the future holds.
“Kicking off with Tests against England, Scotland and Wales will provide the Boks with three tough Tests and just the right preparation for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry against the All Blacks, which follows in August.
“Scotland’s last visit to South Africa was in 2014, England haven’t been here since 2018, and Wales last came to us in 2022, so we can’t wait to welcome them back.”
Venues and kick-off times for the Boks’ three home Tests next July will be confirmed by SA Rugby in due course.
All 12 nations will compete for points – four for a win, two for a draw, zero for a loss, and bonus points for scoring four or more tries and losing by seven points or fewer – to determine the standings in their respective groups. These points earned during the July and November rounds will ultimately decide the schedule of fixtures for the Finals Weekend.
The Finals Weekend will be unlike anything else in the sport, with wall-to-wall elite rugby entertainment defining the showpiece finale to the new tournament, which will be hosted on three consecutive days featuring double-headers at Allianz Stadium, to bring a dramatic conclusion to the November window.
The top-ranked team from the Southern Hemisphere group will take on the best side from the Northern Hemisphere to determine the inaugural champion. Adding a plot twist to the Finals Weekend, is that the remaining teams will also be playing to earn points for their group which will contribute towards deciding the dominant hemisphere. This means that every point, match, and result matters, to every team.
Following confirmation of the Nations Championship and the joint venture underpinning its creation, Brendan Morris, CEO of SANZAAR said: “The establishment of The Nations Championship is an 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.
“We warmly welcome our Pacific neighours Japan and Fiji into the tournament, as part of our ‘team’. The participating teams are excited, the broadcasters are excited, and the fans are excited, and we very much look forward to July 2026 when it all kicks-off.”
Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, 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.”
“The world’s biggest and best championships are defined by intense sporting drama, and the Nations Championship will stand alongside these. The Finals Weekend will add a totally new dimension for fans, and promises to create an incredible spectacle, crown Champions, and act as a catalyst to grow rugby’s reach, globally.
“By bringing together the best teams and players in the sport and injecting another layer to the fierce cross hemisphere rivalries, the Nations Championship will take international rugby to new heights.”
In response to the launch of the Nations Championship, 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.”
With Japan and Fiji completing the line-up of 12 nations, Mark Alexander, Co-Chair of the Nations Championship, 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.”
For all you need to know on the Nations Championship and ticketing registration, please visit https://nationschampionshiprugby.com/en
Image SLM (Mark Alexander, Co-Chair of the Nations Championship).
