Northern vs Southern: Who really won the battle of hemispheres in 2025

With the Nations Championship, the dawn of a new age for the Test Match arena is upon us. With it, the Northern vs Southern Hemisphere battle will escalate to new heights and in the end only one will be crowned the World champion.

However, which hemisphere would have won if the contest had occurred in 2025?

Forty-nine Northern vs Southern Hemisphere clashes took place between June and November, with the South taking 28 wins while the North managed 20.

From the behemoth clashes between England and New Zealand to the intense contest between Mexico and Colombia, there were enough matchups to boost the rivalry, which will take another tour next year.

But before we go on to check some of the results, it should be noted that the following clashes were not considered: Club vs Nation; the British and Irish Lions Series; and A or XV sides.

However, even if the British and Irish Lions Wallabies Series and the standalone match against Argentina were included, it would not make any difference, as the tourists won as many games as they lost.

Despite Japan being geographically in the Northern Hemisphere, the Brave Blossoms are included among the Southern Hemisphere teams.

Biggest point margin win: Wales 0 vs South Africa 73

The last Test Match of the year delivered the biggest point difference between Southern and Northern sides, as the Springboks annihilated Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

Seventy-three points to nil from the World champions meant not only the biggest point difference of the year but also the biggest defeat ever recorded by Wales at home.

The visitors scored almost a point per minute, reaching the Welsh try area eleven times.

Italy was the Northern nation that came closest to snatching this feat from the Springboks, but Gonzalo Quesada’s men conceded six points in their 73-06 win over Namibia last July.

Uruguay came in third place, having torn apart Romania in July to gift Los Teros fans a 70-08 result in what was an excellent year for them.

The Hemisphere top dogs: England and South Africa

South Africa and England were the only two sides to come out unbeaten from the July and November fixtures and are already looking forward to their meet-up in 2026.

The Springboks only conceded two losses during the year, while England slipped once (Ireland). In the July and November windows, both beat every opponent they faced. England convincingly defeated Argentina (three times), New Zealand, Australia and Fiji, while the Springboks collected wins against Italy (three times), Georgia, France, Wales and Ireland.

If a Northern vs Southern final had been staged in 2025, England would have been meeting the voracious Springboks for the right to be named the best of the two hemispheres.

Alas, with no final, the Springboks take the cake as they scored more points, conceded far fewer and posted a much better point difference than England: 271-64 to England’s 180-96. Even removing their biggest win (vs Wales), South Africa would still have come out on top.

Sidenote: Uruguay could also be added to the group, as Los Teros beat every July and November opponent, including Romania (twice) and Portugal.

The memorable result: Fiji beat Scotland in Suva

It was not the first time Fiji had beaten Scotland, and the last one was not that long ago (2017). But this one came in Suva in front of 10,000 fans.

Gregor Townsend and his squad toured the Pacific islands and accepted Fiji’s challenge at Suva’s HFC Bank Stadium.

Although the tourists were without Ben White, Blair Kinghorn, Duhan van der Merwe, Huw Jones, Zander Fagerson and Finn Russell, that does not make Fiji’s feat any less impressive.

The hosts bounced back after Kyle Rowe scored an early try, quickly retaking the lead and bagging a 29-14 win, their biggest point difference against Scotland.

When the World Rugby Nations Cup kicks off next year, results like this can be crucial in settling the arm wrestle between the two hemispheres.

The unexpected rivalry: Colombia vs Mexico

Mexico and Colombia met this past November for the seventh time, with Los Tucanes earning a 34-25 win to give their fans a reason to celebrate.

In a ten-try affair, Colombia were in control from the kick off, dictating terms despite Mexico’s best efforts.

While some might overlook this fixture, matches like it help fuel continental and global rivalries, making the Test Match scene even more compelling.

The Kings of the Hemispheres: Will Jordan and Lee Seung-Sin

Before you give out, Lee Seung-Sin’s numbers account not only for July and November but also the Pacific Nations Cup.

The Japanese fly-half was outstanding from the tee, converting 83 points and helping Japan put up a positive year despite their 1-point loss in Cardiff.

However, if only July and November Tests were counted, Lee Seung-Sin would share the golden boot with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, as the Springbok youngster banked 54 points.

The Stormers utility back also scored the most points in a single game, thanks to his 28-point haul against Wales.

George Ford with 52, Santiago Carreras with 39 and Beauden Barrett with 37 round out the top five.

As for the finishers, Will Jordan once again proved inevitable. The 26-year-old scored six tries across seven games, touching down against France (a four-try haul), Ireland and Scotland to edge closer to Doug Howlett’s record. Several players finished with four tries, including Bautista Basso, Edwil van der Merwe, Tom Rogers, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and others.

The final say: 49 blockbuster games
2025 delivered a heavy load of high-quality encounters across the globe. The July and November Tests featured 41 games, with an additional eight coming from two tournaments: the Pacific Nations Cup and the Final Qualification Tournament.

The Pacific Nations Cup was the only competition to feature teams from both hemispheres. The Southern representatives, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Japan, were joined by the Northern pair, the United States and Canada, in a competition that ran from August to September.

While the South heavily beat the North, the United States had the last laugh, defeating Samoa 29-13 to clinch a World Cup spot.

Samoa then faced Belgium, Brazil and Namibia in the Final Qualification Tournament, with Belgium earning two wins for the North. Unfortunately for the Diables Noirs, the 13-point draw against Samoa ended their World Cup qualification hopes.

Curiously, it was the only Northern vs Southern draw of the year, and it proved a bruising and dramatic affair.

With the dawn of the World Rugby Nations Cup, rivalries will rise again, and the two blocs will enter a fresh race for global supremacy.

For now, the South can bask in the sun, but will it last when everything restarts in six months?