Wallabies set for blockbuster start to all-new Nations Championship

Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh believes the all-new Nations Championship will enhance rugby union’s status as one of the world’s top sports, pitting cross-hemisphere rivals against one another every two years.

Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR have come together to redefine the future of the international game, after the World Rugby Council ratified the Nations Championship concept in 2023, as part of a broader effort to change the global calendar.

Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa will represent the Southern Hemisphere along with invitational sides Japan and Fiji. The Nations Championship sees the Six Nations sides play for the Northern Hemisphere in the biennial battle to become champions.

The Wallabies will host Ireland, France and Italy when the Nations Championship kicks off its inaugural season next July. Australia suffered recent defeats to Italy and Ireland, and are preparing to face the French in Paris this weekend.

They will play away fixtures against England, Scotland and Wales during the November international window. These fixtures will decide final standings in the northern and southern groups, ahead of the first-of-its-kind Finals Weekend at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.

“The Nations Championship is an outstanding addition to the global rugby calendar and one Rugby Australia enthusiastically supports,” Waugh said in a statement.

“Fans in Australia and around the world will embrace the innovative format which pits the best of the Southern Hemisphere against the North, culminating in an epic finals weekend.

“Test rugby is in strong health around the globe and the Nations Championship will ensure our great game’s status among the world’s leading sports is enhanced.”

In the opening round of the Nations Championship, England will return to South Africa for the first time since 2018 to take on the Springboks. The All Blacks will host France in a blockbuster fixture, one year on from New Zealand’s three-nil series sweep on home soil in 2025.

Los Pumas claimed a famous comeback win over Scotland last weekend, bringing a 16-year win drought at Murrayfield to an end. They will host the Scots next July, while the Flying Fijians take on Wales, and the Brave Blossoms play the Azzurri in Japan.

“SANZAAR teams have a proud and successful record at international level,” SANZAAR CEO, Brendan Morris, explained.

“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.”

Six Nations Rugby CEO, Tom Harrison, added: “The Nations Championship has the power to redefine the future of rugby.

“The significance of the partnership between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR signals a tectonic shift in the sport.

“It is the first time in rugby’s history that its strongest nations have collaborated on this scale, with a clear vision to grow the game, by challenging traditional ways of operating to create a tournament structure that carries genuine global relevance, and can unlock the true value of the sport, for its players and fans.”

Wallabies’ 2026 Nations Championship draw

Round 1: Australia vs Ireland

Round 2: Australia vs France

Round 3: Australia vs Italy

Round 4: England vs Australia

Round 5: Scotland vs Australia

Round 6: Wales vs Australia