Round 1 of the inaugural Nations Championship will begin on Saturday, 4th July, as New Zealand faces France in Christchurch, New Zealand, to kickstart this new cross-hemisphere tournament.

To celebrate the ‘100 Days to Go’ milestone to this fixture, London’s iconic landmark Nelson’s Column was illuminated with the team colours and crests of all 12 competing nations.
The landmark became a ‘beacon’ for all of the nations who will be taking part in this new international rugby tournament as the city of London prepares to host the first of its kind finals weekend in November.

Twelve of the world's strongest international rugby teams will compete in the first edition of the Nations Championship as all nations fight to claim the title of the ‘best team in the world’.
In a unique Northern vs Southern Hemisphere format, there will be two ‘instalments’ of fixtures, with three weekends in July seeing the Northern Hemisphere nations travel to the Southern Hemisphere for three fixtures against different Southern teams.

In November, the travel will reverse as the Southern Hemisphere teams will travel to the other side of the equator for three final fixtures before the winners are crowned at the first-ever Finals Weekend in London.

Major free-to-air partnerships have been confirmed ahead of the opening round of fixtures so fans will be able to watch and follow every fixture of this new championship, with ITV and STV being the home of the 2026 and 2028 fixtures for UK viewers.

The inaugural fixture between France and New Zealand will be the first ever international rugby fixture to take place at the One New Zealand Stadium, with tickets for the historical event selling out within four hours.

Three Saturdays of consecutive fixtures will then see the strongest international teams compete for points that will decide the table standings of both hemisphere groups.

The remaining points will then be fought over in the November fixtures as the final table standings dictate the opponents of the Finals Weekend as the 1st-placed Northern Hemisphere team takes on the 1st-placed Southern Hemisphere team and so on.

Not only is the tournament champion title on the line at the Finals Weekend in London, but the Hemisphere Champion title also means that every fixture and point matters.

Tickets for the Nations Championship Finals Weekend in London, the capital city that has hosted some of the biggest events in global sport, are now on general sale with a range of ticket prices helping to give options to suit every fan.

There are a range of different ticket options, with day tickets giving fans access to two fixtures on a given day, whilst there are also weekend packages, which secure access to every fixture across the three days, and a ‘Support Your Team’ option, ensuring that fans can watch the newest international competition in a way that best suits them.

The general ticket sales for November’s Nations Championship Finals Weekend in London is now open, with tickets available to purchase through this link