Starting in 2026, World Rugby will launch the biennial Nations Championship, a global competition featuring 12 top national teams—Six Nations sides (England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales), Rugby Championship teams (New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina), and two invited nations (likely Japan and Fiji).

The tournament is split into two conferences (Europe and Rest of World) and played across two windows—July (southern hemisphere) and November (northern hemisphere) in non-World Cup and non-Lions years. Each team plays all six teams from the opposite conference, with the top teams meeting in a Grand Final in November, alongside playoff matches for the remaining rankings. 

Ireland are set to travel Down Under next summer as part of the Nations Championship Calendar to take on Australia, New Zealand and potentially Japan! – Register your interest now to be the first to hear about inaugural Nations Championship Packages going live!