Information checked: November 15, 2026, 4:17 a.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT, UTC+11:00) in Sydney; November 14, 2026, 17:17 UTC (UTC+00:00). Match times below identify the venue’s time zone and, where relevant, the date in Sydney.
The inaugural men’s Rugby Union Nations Championship is in its November stage, with 12 national teams competing across two hemisphere-based tables before a three-day Finals Weekend at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, in London on November 27–29, 2026. Unlike ordinary one-off autumn tests, these fixtures count toward a structured competition: each team plays six opponents from the other group, is ranked within its own group and then faces a matching-ranked opponent in London. For Australian fans, Scotland versus Australia on November 15 in Edinburgh is the next scheduled Wallabies match, followed by Wales versus Australia on November 21. The inaugural title will not be decided until the top-ranked teams from the two groups meet on November 29.
This is a guide to the rules, teams and calendar—not a rolling score report. The governing competition site publishes current fixtures and results; check its live listing for last-minute adjustments. See the official Nations Championship match center and Rugby Australia’s official competition guide.
Destaques
The Nations Championship is a new biennial men’s international rugby union competition jointly developed by Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR. It turns established July and November international windows into a single points-bearing tournament. The first edition is in 2026, with the main competition designed for years outside the men’s Rugby World Cup and British & Irish Lions tour cycle. Rather than replacing the Six Nations Championship itself, it brings the six European unions into a separate contest against six countries in the opposing pool. The tournament’s organizing bodies also plan to recognize which hemisphere performs better overall; the individual champion is decided by the first-place-versus-first-place final. Source: South African Rugby’s tournament overview.
| Northern Hemisphere group | Southern Hemisphere group |
|---|---|
| England | Argentina |
| France | Australia |
| Ireland | Fiji |
| Italy | Japan |
| Scotland | New Zealand |
| Wales | South Africa |
The group names describe competition membership rather than a strictly geographic rule. Japan is geographically north of the equator, and Fiji is included as an invited side; both join the four SANZAAR nations in the tournament’s designated southern group. The northern group is composed of the existing Six Nations participants. The teams do not play the five countries in their own group during the six regular rounds. Instead, each nation plays all six opponents across the other group exactly once. Sources: official Nations Championship match center and South African Rugby’s tournament overview.
Each country has three cross-hemisphere tests in July and three more in November. The July series mainly involves the northern group traveling to face its cross-group opponents, while the November series reverses the overall direction. The actual host venue can vary: not every July game is physically played south of the equator. A team’s six match results build its position in its own hemisphere’s six-team standings.
Rugby Australia confirms the table points: a victory earns four, a draw two, and a defeat ordinarily zero. A team also receives a bonus point for scoring at least four tries and a bonus point if it loses by seven points or fewer. These bonuses matter because teams in the same table are being compared despite facing different opposition in different rounds. To understand the placement pairings, follow the official tables rather than trying to infer seeds only from wins or world rankings. Source: Rugby Australia’s official competition guide.
The three July rounds were scheduled for July 4, 11 and 18, 2026. The November phase comprises Round 4 on November 6–8, Round 5 on November 13–15 and Round 6 on November 21, followed by the London finale on November 27–29. The detailed list and results are provided by the official Nations Championship match center. These are venue dates; an Australian television viewer may see the following calendar day.
| Fixture and venue | Venue kickoff | Sydney date and time |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland vs Australia — Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh | Sunday, November 15, 3:10 p.m. GMT (UTC+00:00) | Monday, November 16, 2:10 a.m. AEDT (UTC+11:00) |
| Wales vs Australia — Principality Stadium, Cardiff | Saturday, November 21, 8:10 p.m. GMT (UTC+00:00) | Sunday, November 22, 7:10 a.m. AEDT (UTC+11:00) |
All times above follow the published competition schedule and the Australian federation’s Australian Eastern Daylight Time fixture list. Edinburgh and Cardiff use GMT (UTC+00:00) in November after the end of British summer time. Sydney uses AEDT (UTC+11:00). Brisbane, which does not observe daylight saving, uses Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST, UTC+10:00), so its clock times are one hour earlier than Sydney’s for these fixtures. Check the Rugby Australia’s official competition guide for the full Australian-viewer schedule.
The six-team tables are ranked first through sixth after Round 6. On Finals Weekend, each northern team is paired with the team in the same position from the southern group: sixth versus sixth, fifth versus fifth, and so on. These are six placement matches, not a conventional single-elimination bracket. The top-ranked teams meet to decide the title; the other five games complete the ranking matchups and count toward the wider hemisphere competition.
| London date | Pairing | Kickoff in London, GMT (UTC+00:00) |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, November 27 | North No. 6 vs South No. 6 | 4:40 p.m. |
| Friday, November 27 | North No. 3 vs South No. 3 | 8:10 p.m. |
| Saturday, November 28 | North No. 5 vs South No. 5 | 1:10 p.m. |
| Saturday, November 28 | North No. 2 vs South No. 2 | 4:40 p.m. |
| Sunday, November 29 | North No. 4 vs South No. 4 | 1:10 p.m. |
| Sunday, November 29 | North No. 1 vs South No. 1 (Grand Final) | 4:40 p.m. |
All six Finals Weekend games are scheduled for Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London. For Sydney, the title match begins Monday, November 30, at 3:40 a.m. AEDT (UTC+11:00); the corresponding universal time is Sunday, November 29, at 16:40 UTC. The identities of the finalists depend on completion of the regular-round standings, not a preselected championship matchup. Sources: official Nations Championship match center and South African Rugby’s tournament overview.
The principal change is that July and November tests now connect directly. Australia’s July fixtures against Ireland, France and Italy count in the same competition as its November games against England, Scotland and Wales. This makes bonus points and late results relevant to an eventual placing against one of the northern teams. For Japan and Fiji, being part of the designated southern pool guarantees a set of tests against Six Nations opponents, offering competitive experience on a predictable calendar. For European supporters, the customary November home internationals carry extra league-table consequences. This format does not replace the men’s Rugby World Cup, and a group’s leader is not automatically the overall champion: it still must win the top-seed final.
The immediate variable is the final table ordering, which can shift after Round 5 and Round 6. It would be premature to identify confirmed Finals Weekend opponents before the standings settle. World Rugby has also said the November match-official appointments for the concluding weekend would be confirmed on November 23; that is an administrative milestone, not an additional playing round. Source: World Rugby’s November match-official announcement.
The most useful starting point is the official Nations Championship match center, which has the tournament calendar, match center and standings. Rugby Australia’s Rugby Australia’s official competition guide is particularly helpful when reading the draw in Australian Eastern Daylight Time. The actual live broadcaster or streaming rights can vary by country and service; check local broadcaster listings close to kickoff rather than assuming a channel carries every match. Ticket holders should follow the tournament and host-union notices for any changes to gates, kickoff or venue arrangements.
No. The competition is designed to take place every two years, with the first edition in 2026 and scheduling outside Rugby World Cup and British & Irish Lions tour years.
Yes. All 12 nations play one placement match in London, pairing the same-ranked team from each of the two tables. Only the two first-place teams contest the title.
It is scheduled for Monday, November 30, 2026, at 3:40 a.m. in Sydney, AEDT (UTC+11:00), corresponding to Sunday, November 29, at 4:40 p.m. in London, GMT (UTC+00:00), and 16:40 UTC.
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