Watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams as the world’s 12 best teams meet in the first northern vs southern hemisphere tournament of its kind. The new biennial competition unites the convoluted international windows of July and November under one banner, bringing both silverware and substance to the table.
Essentially, it’s a stripped back World Championship with a Ryder Cup element – more on that just below.
The northern contingent includes the Six Nations sides, while the south is represented by the four Rugby Championship sides, plus invitational participants Japan (although actually in the northern hemisphere) and Fiji.
Between them, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia have won all but one of the 10 editions of the Rugby World Cup, but while the back-to-back reigning champions Springboks continue to serve as the gold standard, the All Blacks and Wallabies have been in decline. France and Ireland, meanwhile, have emerged as genuine forces on the global stage.
Argentina and Italy have shaken up the traditional pecking order within their respective groupings, while Scotland and England are equally capable of going toe-to-toe with the best and embarrassing themselves against the worst.
The southern nations have the more consistent schedule and New Zealand have hit the jackpot by drawing home advantage for their clashes with Ireland and France.
Teams from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres will each meet, either home or away, across six rounds of matches, after which the geographical group standings will decide the matches at Finals Weekend, a three-day festival that will culminate in the best of the North facing the best of the South in the Nations Championship decider.
The second-, third-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-placed teams will also face their opposite number, with the results contributing to a first-to-four, Ryder Cup-style Hemisphere Group Challenge that runs parallel to the main competition.
Each Finals Weekend match will be worth one point, but the Nations Championship final will be worth two. Likewise, all tied matches will go to a 10-minute period of extra time with a Golden Goal-style Golden Point, except for the final, which will go to two 10-minute periods of extra time, followed by a penalty shootout if the teams still cannot be separated.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 from anywhere in the world.
Nations Championship program 2026
(all times UK)
SERIES THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
Round 1
Saturday 4 July
8.10 – New Zealand vs France
9.40 – Japan v Italy
11.10 – Australia vs Ireland
14.10 – Fiji vs Wales
16.40 – South Africa vs England
20.10 – Argentina vs Scotland
Round 2
Saturday 11 July
6.10 – New Zealand vs Italy
8.40 – Australia vs France
11.10 – Japan vs Ireland
14.10 – Fiji vs England
16.40 – South Africa vs Scotland
20.10 – Argentina vs Wales
Round 3
Saturday 18 July
8.10 – New Zealand vs Ireland
9.40 – Japan v France
11.10 – Australia vs Italy
14.10 – Fiji vs Scotland
16.40 – South Africa vs Wales
20.10 – Argentina vs England
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE SERIES
Round 4
Friday, November 6
20.10 – Ireland vs Argentina
Saturday 7 November
11.40 – Italy vs South Africa
14.10 – Scotland vs New Zealand
4.40pm – Wales vs Japan
20.10 – France vs Fiji
Sunday, November 8
15.10 – England vs Australia
Round 5
Friday, November 13
20.10 – France vs South Africa
Saturday 14 November
11.40 – Italy vs Argentina
14.10 – Wales vs New Zealand
16.40 – England vs Japan
20.10 – Ireland vs Fiji
Sunday, November 15
15.10 – Scotland vs Australia
Round 6
Saturday 21 November
14.10 – England vs New Zealand
14.10 – Scotland vs Japan
16.40 – Ireland vs South Africa
16.40 – Italy vs Fiji
20.10 – France vs Argentina
20.10 – Wales vs Australia
FINAL WEEKEND
Friday, November 27
16.40 – N6 vs S6
20.10 – N3 vs S3
Saturday 28 November
13.10 – N5 vs S5
16.40 – Play-off for third place
Sunday, November 29
13.10 – N4 vs S4
16.40 – 2026 Nations Championship final
Can you watch Nations Championship 2026 for free?
Yes. Every Nations Championship game is free to air ITVX in Great Britain, on Rugby pass TV in the US and beyond Virgin Media Play in Ireland. Wallabies games are also available to watch 9 Now in Australia.
Are you traveling abroad right now? You can use one VPN to watch the Nations Championship 2026 for free as if you were at home.
Use a VPN to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams
A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device look like it’s back in your home country so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams in USA
Every Nations Championship 2026 game is free to air Rugby pass TV in the United States.
All you have to do is create an account.
Outside the US for a game? Use NordVPN to access your usual coverage.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams in UK
In the UK, all Nations Championship 2026 games will be free on either ITV1 or ITV4with live streaming available via ITVX streaming service.
All you need is an account, a TV license and a UK postcode (eg HA9 0WS). Register here!
Welsh coverage of every Wales game will be available on S4Cwhich can be streamed live through BBC iPlayer or S4C Click.
If you’re outside the UK but still want to tune in, go explore The VPN route above which will help you access your accounts anywhere.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams in Australia
Nations Championship 2026 is split between free-to-air Channel 9 and Stan Sports in Australia.
Every Wallabies home game will be shown on Channel 9, with live streaming available via 9 Now.
Stan Sportsmeanwhile, provides coverage of all Nations Championship matches. Stan Sport costs AU$20/month on top of a Stan subscription, which itself starts at AU$12/month.
Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN-like NordVPN to see all the action as if you were back home.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams in Canada
In Canada, the Nations Championship 2026 is exclusive to Premier Sports.
You’ll need either a $79.99 six-month pass or a $139.99/year annual subscription to tune in.
If you’re out of Canada but don’t want to miss out, explore The VPN route above which will help you access your accounts anywhere.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams in South Africa
The Nations Championship is shown on Super Sport in South Africa.
You must use DStv Access package to watch every match of the tournament, with prices starting at Rs 99/month for live streaming.
Abroad right now? Use one VPN to let your device know you’re back home and ready to go.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams in New Zealand
Sky Sports NZ provides comprehensive Nations Championship 2026 coverage in New Zealand.
You can access Sky Sport via satellite TV or get a live stream included Sky Sport Now subscription service starting at $29.99 per day or $54.99 per month.
Are you missing a match due to work commitments abroad? NordVPN will give you access to your home streaming service.
Nations Championship 2026 Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Nations Championship 2026 teams?
Nations Championship 2026 team
Southern Hemisphere
- Argentina
- Australia
- Fiji
- Japan
- New Zealand
- South Africa
Northern Hemisphere
- England
- France
- Ireland
- Italy
- Scotland
- Wales
Is the Nations Championship the same as the Nations Cup?
The Nations Championship and the Nations Cup are separate competitions. The former is one between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, while the latter is organized by World Rugby.
As the Nations Championship comprises almost exclusively Tier 1 teams and the Nations Cup new rugby nations, there is no overlap between the two events.
However, Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR have raised the prospect of a relegation/promotion system in the future.
When does the Nations Championship take place?
The inaugural Nations Championship runs from Saturday 4 July to Sunday 29 November, with three rounds taking place in July and four – including the Finals Weekend – held in November.
The competition will take place every other year, avoiding years in which a Rugby World Cup or British & Irish Lions tour takes place.
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