Overview
- Six Nations teams will face SANZAAR nations plus Japan and Fiji across July and November 2026, opening on 4 July with New Zealand v France and Australia v Ireland and concluding with a Twickenham finals weekend on 27–29 November.
- The competition uses separate North and South tables and a points system of four for a win and two for a draw, with bonus points for scoring four tries and for losing by seven points or fewer to set finals matchups.
- The Rugby Championship will not be staged in 2026 to accommodate the new calendar and an All Blacks–Springboks Test series, according to reporting.
- Fiji are set to stage designated home fixtures overseas, with the BBC reporting England in South Africa and Wales and Scotland in the United Kingdom.
- World Rugby also launched a concurrent 12-team Nations Cup with no immediate promotion or relegation, naming Canada, Chile, Georgia, Hong Kong, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Tonga, Uruguay, USA and Zimbabwe among the entrants, with Belgium or Samoa to complete the field.