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International

Eddie Jones: Nations Championship ‘a springboard’ for Japan

By Finn Morton

28 days ago

Japan's Head Coach Eddie Jones during the Quilter Nations Series 2025 rugby international match between Wales and Japan at Principality Stadium on November 15, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Bob Bradford - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Eddie Jones sees the inaugural Nations Championship as “a springboard” for Japan ahead of the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia, after they were included as one of two invitational sides in the 12-team tournament.

SANZAAR and Six Nations Rugby launched the all-new Nations Championship on Monday, with the World Rugby Council ratifying the concept in 2023. Japan and Fiji have been included along with the Six Nations sides and the four Rugby Championship nations.

All six Northern Hemisphere teams will travel down south in July, playing a different team in each of their three fixtures. It’ll be their turn to host matches during the November international window, facing the other three Southern Hemisphere sides on home soil.

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The inaugural Nations Championship begins in July 2026, with the Brave Blossoms hosting the Azzurri in the opening round. Japan will also take on Ireland and France during the July window, before playing their other three fixtures during the Northern Hemisphere Series.

They will play away fixtures against Wales, England and Scotland in 12 months’ time. These matches will decide final standings in the northern and southern groups, setting the stage for the Finals Weekend – three days of double headers at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.

“It’s a great honour for Japan to compete in the Nations Cup. Consistent exposure to this level of competition is vital for us to grow into the team we aspire to be,” Jones said in a statement.

“The inaugural Nations [Championship] in 2026 will be a springboard for us ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Australia.”

In the opening round, the All Blacks will host France in New Zealand. The Wallabies will have the chance to bounce back against Ireland, having suffered a record 46-19 defeat at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium during the 2025 Quilter Nations Series.

Two-time defending Rugby World Cup winners the Springboks will host England, who are currently on a 10-match winning run. England defeated the All Blacks last weekend 33-19, which follows wins over Fiji and Australia earlier in the November international window.

Argentina will take on Scotland, and the Flying Fijians host Wales. After six rounds, the top-seeded teams from the northern and southern groups will face off in a battle to become Nations Championship winners.

Points will also be awarded in the Finals Weekend matches to determine the winning hemisphere for the year, making every match count. As things stand in this year’s Quilter Nations Series, the Northern Hemisphere boast a slight advantage in the head-to-head record.

“I wish to express my sincere gratitude and respect to all those within the rugby community who have worked tirelessly towards the integration of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere international calendars,” Masato Tsuchida, President of Japan Rugby Football Union, explained.

“The establishment of this new tournament, featuring the world’s top twelve rugby nations will further advance rugby as a truly global sport. Our participation, alongside major World Cup contenders, will be a turning point to dramatically strengthen the Japan team.

“We pledge to perform in a manner worthy of the honour of competing in this prestigious tournament and will accelerate the evolution of our national team, thereby contributing to the tournament’s success.”

Brendan Morris, CEO of SANZAAR, added: “The establishment of The Nations Championship is a 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 neighbours, 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.”

Japan’s 2026 Nations Championship draw

Round 1: Japan vs Italy

Round 2: Japan vs Ireland

Round 3: France vs Japan

Round 4: Wales vs Japan

Round 5: England vs Japan

Round 6: Scotland vs Japan

Comments

3 Comments

DS 27 days ago

While it looks like a very good idea, I'm afraid the biggest issue can be summed up in one word:

J. E. T. L. A.G.

There's way too much evidence - backed up by what I learned from a Bok many years ago who had played extensively in Super Rugby where the teams were travelling back and forth bedonnerd across the Indian ocean - that there's just no way you can fool your body, so the NH teams going to the Pacific, and the same in reverse for the Pacific teams, are going to be messed up for at least the first game unless they are able to travel over 12 days or so in advance (time difference London to Auckland is 12 hours in summer) which I doubt will be feasible as the international windows won't allow it. But it'll be great for the Boks, so why would I worry?

LiamBerlin 28 days ago

It’s great for Japan and I don’t begrudge them but I’d love to know why they and Wales are in while higher-ranked Georgia are not. Is it money and the attraction of a larger and wealthier TV audience, combined with a bit of old-boys network? I don’t begrudge Wales either, by the way, but I think Georgia has earned the right to be there in the same way that Argentina, Italy and Fiji have earned their place over the decades I’ve been watching.

DS 27 days ago

You're quite right about the ‘old boys network’ but that only refers to the NH, and IMHO particularly the Pom Posh Boys who were the ones who held back professional rugby for years which especially stuffed up Welsh rugby whose players mainly weren’t rich bliksems and had to go and play boring (five tackles, kick) rugby league to make a rugby career that matched their incredible talents. There is still a very strong amateur game in Wales and this might be the chance for them to regain their deserved international status, particularly as it looks like at last they've got a good coach. Georgia haven't really proven their quality over a long period yet but their time will come provided this tournament is a success and expands exponentially as I hope it will do, although as you'll see in my other comment I still don't think the human body - no matter how fit the person is - can overcome the travelling half way around the world that the E-W-E direction will demand (although it will certainly benefit the Boks which will irritate the poms even more so that's good).

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