World Rugby Launches New Global Tournament: The Nations Championship

World Rugby has officially unveiled the Nations Championship, a groundbreaking international competition that will bring together 12 of the sport’s top national teams in a new biennial format. The tournament is set to debut in July next year, promising to reshape the global rugby calendar.

The Nations Championship will feature the traditional Six Nations teams — England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales — alongside Fiji, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and reigning world champions South Africa.

The competition will take place across the summer and autumn test windows every two years. The summer series will be hosted in the Southern Hemisphere, with the Northern Hemisphere teams touring. In the autumn, the roles will reverse, with the Southern Hemisphere sides traveling north.

Each team will face its counterpart from the opposite hemisphere based on rankings — for example, the sixth-ranked team from the north will play the sixth-ranked team from the south. The top two ranked teams at the end of the group stages will then face off in a grand final to determine the overall champion.

The first edition of the Nations Championship will culminate in a three-day festival of rugby at Allianz Stadium in London, where the final and other placement matches will be held. Organizers have also revealed plans to rotate the final weekend’s location in future editions, with the Middle East and the United States identified as potential hosts.

While the announcement has been met with general enthusiasm, the competition has not been without its critics. Chief among the concerns is the lack of a promotion and relegation system, which effectively excludes tier-two nations from participating — a criticism that has long been levelled at both the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship.

Another point of contention is the decision for Fiji to play its home fixtures in South Africa, raising questions about fan engagement and attendance. Critics have pointed to historically low crowd numbers at United Rugby Championship (URC) matches in South Africa as a potential issue.

Despite these concerns, the Nations Championship is being hailed as a positive step toward a more cohesive and competitive international rugby calendar. With the promise of blockbuster matchups and the potential to grow the sport’s global footprint, fans and stakeholders alike will be watching closely as the tournament takes shape.