Rugby Nations Championship 2026: How It Works and What Comes Next on November 7

Information checked: November 7, 2026, at 13:06 UTC (13:06 GMT in London).

The inaugural Rugby Nations Championship is a 12-team men’s international rugby union competition that turns the July and November test windows into a race for a place in a London final. Ireland opened the November series with a 42-12 win over Argentina on November 6, giving its campaign a boost before the remaining teams play their fourth-round fixtures.

Italy’s match against South Africa on November 7 is part of that same race: the result will count toward separate Northern and Southern group standings, which determine every team’s opponent at Finals Weekend. The match kicked off at 12:40 p.m. Central European Time in Turin (CET, UTC+01:00), or 11:40 a.m. UTC. A final result was not verified at the time of this update. The Italian Rugby Federation confirmed the venue and kickoff.

Destaques

• Twelve teams play six cross-group matches each before a seventh placement match in London.
• Ireland beat Argentina 42-12 in the first match of the November series.
• The two group leaders meet for the championship title on November 29.
• All six Finals Weekend matches also count toward the separate Hemisphere Shield.

What is the Rugby Nations Championship?

The Nations Championship is a biennial competition created by Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, the organization representing the major Southern Hemisphere rugby unions. It brings added stakes to international matches played during the established July and November windows. The inaugural edition began in July 2026 and concludes with three days of placement matches at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, London, from November 27 through 29.

It is separate from the annual Six Nations Championship and the Rugby Championship. Those established competitions continue to give teams games against familiar regional rivals; the Nations Championship focuses on matches between teams assigned to opposing groups. World Rugby describes the new event and its two playing windows in its Northern Series announcement.

Which teams play in the 2026 Nations Championship?

The Northern group contains England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. The Southern group contains Argentina, Australia, Fiji, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. Japan is geographically in the Northern Hemisphere, but plays in the Southern group for this competition.

Teams compete against members of the opposite group, while their results are compared with the other teams in their own group. For example, Italy’s game against South Africa affects Italy’s position among the six Northern teams and South Africa’s position among the six Southern teams. It is not a match between two teams competing for the same table position.

How do the fixtures and standings work?

Each team plays all six teams in the other group once: three matches took place in the July Southern Series, and three more are scheduled in the November Northern Series. The points collected over those six matches determine the order in each group. Bonus points can affect the standings, so the margin and number of tries can matter as well as the winner.

The July fixtures were evenly split between the groups, with nine wins apiece, according to the competition organizers. That aggregate record illustrates the balance of the opening series, but teams qualify for the title match through their individual group positions, not by their hemisphere’s combined July win total.

Before the November games, France led the Northern table, while South Africa led the Southern table on points difference ahead of New Zealand. Those were standings after three rounds and do not include Ireland’s subsequent victory over Argentina or other November results. The World Rugby pool tables provide a reference for checking the latest positions.

How does Finals Weekend decide the winner?

After the six group-stage rounds, every team goes to Twickenham for a match against the team that finished in the equivalent position in the other group. First plays first for the Nations Championship trophy; second plays second; and the same pattern continues down to sixth against sixth. There are two matches on each day of Finals Weekend.

This means a team does not need to win a semifinal to reach the title match. It must finish first in its own group after the six scheduled games. The other five matches settle corresponding positions and still carry a stake in the separate hemisphere contest.

What is the Hemisphere Shield?

The Hemisphere Shield is a second prize awarded according to results across the six Finals Weekend matches. Victories in the second-place through sixth-place matchups are worth one point each to the winning group. The first-versus-first championship match is worth two points, making seven points available in total; the first hemisphere to reach four wins the shield.

For the five placement matches below the final, a tie after extra time gives each hemisphere half a point. If the title match remains tied after extra time, a place-kicking shootout decides it. A team can therefore win its own placement match and contribute to a wider group outcome at the same time.

What happens after Italy vs. South Africa?

Italy’s next group-stage opponents are Argentina in Genoa on November 14 and Fiji in Udine on November 21, according to the Italian Rugby Federation’s schedule. The remaining November rounds will establish both tables before Finals Weekend pairings can be confirmed. Supporters can consult World Rugby’s fixtures and match pages for updates.

There is also a separate World Rugby Nations Cup for 12 other teams. World Rugby says promotion and relegation mechanisms between the competitions will be examined by stakeholders from the 2030 edition onward; that should not be treated as a confirmed relegation outcome for 2026. See its Nations Cup explainer for the current position.

FAQ

Is the Nations Championship held every year?

No. It is a biennial men’s competition, with its inaugural edition in 2026.

Does the Nations Championship replace the Six Nations?

No. The Six Nations remains a separate competition; its six teams also participate in the Nations Championship.

Where is the 2026 final?

The final is scheduled for November 29 at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, London. Its teams will be the leaders of the two groups after six rounds.