By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR have redefined the future of international rugby, unveiling the all-new Nations Championship that will debut in 2026.
This biennial, cross-hemisphere competition features 12 of the strongest nations in the sport – battling for a new global crown.
These teams will participate in a competitive tournament format before a champion nation is crowned at the first-of-its-kind Nations Championship Finals Weekend. The winning Hemisphere will also be crowned after three days of double headers at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium next November.
SA Rugby announced on Monday that the Springboks will have home fixtures against England, Wales, and Scotland in July next year, while teams like Japan and Fiji have been invited to play in the spectacle.
Representing the south will be South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Fiji, and Japan, who will take on the Six Nations powerhouses – England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales – during the traditional July and November Test windows.
The tournament includes six rounds before culminating in a first-of-its-kind Finals Weekend at Twickenham in November 2026. This blockbuster finale will feature three consecutive days of double-headers, offering fans wall-to-wall elite rugby and a dramatic end to the season.
For the Springboks, the 2026 schedule promises both nostalgia and excitement. England (4 July), Scotland (11 July), and Wales (18 July) will tour South Africa for three highly anticipated Tests – with all three nations returning after long absences.
The Boks will then complete their northern commitments in November with fixtures against Italy (6–8 November), France (13–15 November), and Ireland (21 November).
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer welcomed the new era, saying the competition would elevate the meaning of every Test match.
“This new competition changes the global game as we know it. Kicking off with Tests against England, Scotland, and Wales will give the Boks the ideal preparation before our rivalry with the All Blacks resumes in August.”
Scotland last toured South Africa in 2014, England in 2018, and Wales in 2022. Oberholzer said the union “cannot wait to welcome them back”.
The World Rugby Council ratified the Nations Championship in 2023, as part of a broader effort to change the global calendar. Unions, federations, clubs, leagues, tournament organisers, players and World Rugby have helped shape the future of the international game.
SANZAAR chief executive Brendan Morris called the Championship an “historic and exciting move”, while Six Nations CEO Tom Harrison said it signalled a “tectonic shift” in world rugby.
With Japan and Fiji completing the 12-team format, leaders from both hemispheres agree that the Nations Championship represents a collaborative effort to globalise and commercialise the sport like never before.
Rugby’s future is about to get a major shake-up – and it all begins with the Springboks defending home turf against rugby’s northern giants.