Photo via Rugby World

Confused by rugby’s newest international rugby tournament? Here’s all your Nations Championship questions answered

Rugby’s newest international tournament, the Nations Championship, is set to bring together 12 of the world’s top teams in a biennial competition designed to inject fresh competition into the summer and autumn international windows. The event features the traditional Six Nations sides—England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales—alongside the Rugby Championship nations (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Argentina), plus invitational teams Fiji and Japan.

Unlike past tournaments, the Nations Championship will be split across two key periods: the southern hemisphere leg runs from July 4 to July 18, while the northern hemisphere fixtures take place from November 6 to November 21, culminating in a finals weekend at Twickenham from November 27 to November 29. Notably, some July matches will be played in European cities like Cardiff, Liverpool, and Edinburgh, blending hemispheres in an innovative twist.

The tournament, organized by Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, aims to elevate the standard of international rugby outside of World Cup years, offering fans a high-stakes alternative to the British & Irish Lions tour or global showpiece events.

Up nextRugby· 47m ago

The buzz of winning? No, Newcastle boss McFarland prefers Mondays