Rugby: Format, Calendar, Standings… All About the New Nations Championship

France Hosts Fiji in Lyon as Nations Championship Returns

The XV de France kicks off the second block of the inaugural World Rugby Nations Championship against Fiji on Saturday night in Lyon, holding the top spot in the Northern Conference standings. Le Figaro reported that the new global tournament replaces traditional July and November windows, merging the Six Nations and Sanzaar-Pacific teams into a single unified calendar running from July 4 through November 29, 2026.

France enters the autumn fixtures with 12 points after a summer campaign that featured a bonus-point defeat in New Zealand alongside bonus-point victories in Australia and Japan. Scotland sits second in the Northern Conference with 11 points, followed by England and Ireland with 10 points each, Wales with 5, and Italy with zero. In the Southern Conference, South Africa leads New Zealand on points difference after both sides swept their summer matches with three offensive bonus wins, accumulating 15 points apiece.

How the Unified Global Format Works

Under the new competition structure, all twelve participating nations face opponents from the opposing hemisphere once across a six-match schedule split between summer and autumn. The format replaces standalone test matches that previously offered only world ranking points used for World Cup seedings. Teams are divided into two distinct conferences, North and South, establishing a clear pathway toward a finals weekend.

Goal.com noted that ticketing for the tournament opened across participating unions earlier this year, with public sales for pool matches managed individually by host nations. The tournament incorporates standard bonus-point rules, awarding an offensive bonus for scoring four or more tries and a defensive bonus for losses by seven points or fewer.

Squad Preparations and Selection Decisions

As Les Bleus prepare for Saturday’s fixture at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon, head coach Fabien Galthié faces key selection evaluations regarding player depth ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Franceinfo reported that the coaching staff aims to assess options in the front row, where hooker Maxime Lamothe is competing to secure the primary backup role behind Julien Marchand over Peato Mauvaka.

Following Saturday’s match against Fiji, France hosts South Africa at the Stade de France on November 13, followed by a match against Argentina at the same venue on November 21. Other autumn fixtures across the continent include England facing New Zealand in London and Ireland welcoming South Africa to Dublin.

Finals Weekend and Trophies at Twickenham

The competition concludes with a three-day finals schedule at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham from November 27 to 29, 2026. The schedule pairs teams based on their final conference standings, culminating in the Sunday evening grand finale between the conference leaders.

Two major trophies will be awarded at the conclusion of the event: one for the winner of the North-South grand finale, and another recognizing the hemisphere that accumulates the most points across all ranking matches. For the grand finale, two ten-minute extra periods are scheduled, followed by a kicking competition if the score remains level.

TF1 Broadcasts Matches as Biennial Tournament Plans Promotion

TF1 holds the broadcast rights for the tournament in France, offering extensive live coverage across its channels, including TF1, TMC, and TFX, for all 24 matches scheduled through November. The competition is planned to run biennially in even-numbered years, avoiding conflicts with Rugby World Cups and British & Irish Lions tours held in odd years. World Rugby intends to introduce promotion and relegation between the top division and a newly formed Nations Cup involving twelve tier-two nations beginning with the fourth edition in 2032.

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