What is the Nations Championship?

Nations Championship 2026 brings together the best rugby teams from around the world in one historic tournament. For the first time, Northern and Southern Hemisphere series are linked, culminating in an action-packed Finals Weekend in London. From July’s Southern Hemisphere away fixtures to November’s home games at Scottish Gas Murrayfield—famously known as the Autumn Tests—every match now counts toward a global championship.

A new era of international rugby begins as the world’s best go head-to-head across two connected series. The Summer Tours and Autumn Tests now lead to one epic Finals Weekend, crowning the ultimate international champion.

Southern Hemisphere Series 

Instead of embarking on what used to be called a Summer Tour, this year Scotland headed to the southern hemisphere to play South Africa and Argentina, with Fiji travelling up to the home of Scottish Rugby. These games form the first three rounds of the Nations Championship.

Northern Hemisphere Series

The traditional November games in Britain, Ireland and France (at Scottish Gas Murrayfield known as the Autumn Tests or Autumn Nations Series) will still take place but will now be the second set of games in the Nations Championship.