Nations Championship

All Blacks to host France, Italy and Ireland in new Nations Championship in 2026

The All Blacks will begin the new Nations Championship in 2026 by hosting France, Italy and Ireland, launching a 17-match season that includes 13 tests across five months.

The 12-team tournament, unveiled this week, brings together Six Nations sides, the Sanzaar nations, Japan and Fiji in a cross-hemisphere format held every two years.

After their July home tests, the All Blacks will head north in November to play Scotland, Wales and England before the ‘Finals Weekend’ at London’s Twickenham from November 27-29. Kickoff times for the home tests will be released later.

@Tim said in Nations Championship:

All Blacks to host France, Italy and Ireland in new Nations Championship in 2026

The All Blacks will begin the new Nations Championship in 2026 by hosting France, Italy and Ireland, launching a 17-match season that includes 13 tests across five months.

The 12-team tournament, unveiled this week, brings together Six Nations sides, the Sanzaar nations, Japan and Fiji in a cross-hemisphere format held every two years.

After their July home tests, the All Blacks will head north in November to play Scotland, Wales and England before the ‘Finals Weekend’ at London’s Twickenham from November 27-29. Kickoff times for the home tests will be released later.

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Along with the Tour of SA, lots of opportunity for things to get a whole lot worse for ABs fans

Springboks starting off against England. Sadly the Irish escape South Africa again.

@OomPB said in Nations Championship:

Springboks starting off against England. Sadly the Irish escape South Africa again.

Last time the were there they shared the series 1-1

So lucky escape for the Boks?

Not too bother about the Nations League.

I am bothered about the opportunity of our boys returning to Twickenham next year and rightly the considerable wrong of last Saturday. What a crock of shit that was.

Hoping Henry Pollock stays fit for that one so the All Blacks can wipe that smirk off his face.

@canefan said in Nations Championship:

@Tim said in Nations Championship:

All Blacks to host France, Italy and Ireland in new Nations Championship in 2026

The All Blacks will begin the new Nations Championship in 2026 by hosting France, Italy and Ireland, launching a 17-match season that includes 13 tests across five months.

The 12-team tournament, unveiled this week, brings together Six Nations sides, the Sanzaar nations, Japan and Fiji in a cross-hemisphere format held every two years.

After their July home tests, the All Blacks will head north in November to play Scotland, Wales and England before the ‘Finals Weekend’ at London’s Twickenham from November 27-29. Kickoff times for the home tests will be released later.

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Along with the Tour of SA, lots of opportunity for things to get a whole lot worse for ABs fans

Lots of opportunities to be bold and take some risks as well. Much better to try a new direction and learn thru losing rather than stick to the same old shit and still lose.

I think i've understood the structure, each of the 6N plays the 6 sides from the SH, then teams are ranked against teams from their own hemisphere in league format, and 1 plays 1, 2 plays 2 etc

Its actually a pretty decent idea. looking for flaws as given its organised by WR I assumed it would be a car crash

@Dodge
I think it is organized by SANZAR and the 6N, not WR.

And I think the main difference to present will be a more equitable money carve up, the old system from the amateur days is completely gone.
And no more "friendlies."

International rugby starting to look like a regular comp.

i worked out my downside, and that's the loss of genuine tours, but those seem to have mostly disappeared anyway

Something had to give after France brought a severely weakened team to New Zealand for three tests earlier this year. And the idea of the finals weekend at Twickenham next year is an exciting one.

But this tournament might create problems. I can't imagine that the NH teams are going to be wild about doing so much flying in July. Scotland, for example, are going from South Africa to Argentina to Fiji on consecutive weekends.

I can see NH team splitting their squads up to limit the fatigue factor. Or might some games be played in neutral venues to reduce travel?

Why bother turning up if South Africa is involved?

@sparky said in Nations Championship:

Something had to give after France brought a severely weakened team to New Zealand for three tests earlier this year. And the idea of the finals weekend at Twickenham next year is an exciting one.

But this tournament might create problems. I can't imagine that the NH teams are going to be wild about doing so much flying in July. Scotland, for example, are going from South Africa to Argentina to Fiji on consecutive weekends.

I can see NH team splitting their squads up to limit the fatigue factor. Or might some games be played in neutral venues to reduce travel?

Aren’t Fiji basing themselves in South Africa?

All Blacks v France Nations Championship: France to again send weakened team to NZ

@Tim said in Nations Championship:

All Blacks v France Nations Championship: France to again send weakened team to NZ

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God i am glad that we do not have a player contracting/release model like france. What is the sentiment around this for french rugby fans?

@DurryMexted said in Nations Championship:

@Tim said in Nations Championship:

All Blacks v France Nations Championship: France to again send weakened team to NZ

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God i am glad that we do not have a player contracting/release model like france. What is the sentiment around this for french rugby fans?

pretty sure they don't give a fuck. If it's not the 6-Nations or the RWC, it's club and daylight second

Wasn't the Nations Championship supposed to solve this issue?

only if said nation cares about said championship

It being reported that Fiji playing all their Nations cup games in northern hemisphere.
Understand why, but i's a shame really.

@Dan54 said in Nations Championship:

It being reported that Fiji playing all their Nations cup games in northern hemisphere.
Understand why, but i's a shame really.

Should ensure a huge pay day for them tho.
This is why the Nations champ is a good thing.
If these games were "normal friendlies" they would get F all.
Really like to know exactly what the revenue carve up model for this comp is
it'll be critical for the comps's success going forward

Mick Byrne departs as Fiji coach.

@MiketheSnow

Fiji will make a pile of money, much more than they would at a regular Twickers "friendly" (ie nuthin).
That's no joke.
The joke will be if they actually win the game, very LOL.

Remember this is a "fair dinkum" type tournament, if you finish last, you get relegated.

@mohikamo said in Nations Championship:

@Dan54 said in Nations Championship:

It being reported that Fiji playing all their Nations cup games in northern hemisphere.
Understand why, but i's a shame really.

Should ensure a huge pay day for them tho.
This is why the Nations champ is a good thing.
If these games were "normal friendlies" they would get F all.
Really like to know exactly what the revenue carve up model for this comp is
it'll be critical for the comps's success going forward

I also see that Japan have to play Ireland in Newcastle , Aussie. Seems shit for Japan

@mohikamo said in Nations Championship:

@MiketheSnow

Fiji will make a pile of money, much more than they would at a regular Twickers "friendly" (ie nuthin).
That's no joke.
The joke will be if they actually win the game, very LOL.

Remember this is a "fair dinkum" type tournament, if you finish last, you get relegated.

Not actually true. All internationals at Twickenham (mens anyway) provide an appearance fee for the visiting team. Do Fiji get their true value? Well no unfortunately, though I can't find anything meaningful since 2016 when Fiji were paid £75K (SA got £750K the same year, NZ apparently were turned down after demanding £2M). What the financial situations are between Fiji and other countries I have no idea. I'd be interested to be enlightened on this point.

@Dan54 said in Nations Championship:

@mohikamo said in Nations Championship:

@Dan54 said in Nations Championship:

It being reported that Fiji playing all their Nations cup games in northern hemisphere.
Understand why, but i's a shame really.

Should ensure a huge pay day for them tho.
This is why the Nations champ is a good thing.
If these games were "normal friendlies" they would get F all.
Really like to know exactly what the revenue carve up model for this comp is
it'll be critical for the comps's success going forward

I also see that Japan have to play Ireland in Newcastle , Aussie. Seems shit for Japan

Yeah of all places to play in Australia too... But Japan knew what they were in for when they signed up.

@Catogrande said in Nations Championship:

Not actually true. All internationals at Twickenham (mens anyway) provide an appearance fee for the visiting team. Do Fiji get their true value? Well no unfortunately, though I can't find anything meaningful since 2016 when Fiji were paid £75K (SA got £750K the same year, NZ apparently were turned down after demanding £2M). What the financial situations are between Fiji and other countries I have no idea. I'd be interested to be enlightened on this point.

It's a legacy from the amateur days when all the visiting teams got was expenses.
It was never like that in soccer football for example.
And it has persisted into the pro era, but seems to be slowly being broken down.
If a game is outside the "window" now, the revenue is shared more evenly.
The more equitable split of revenue is one of the drivers for setting up the Nations Championship.

England didn't play NZ outside of the normal rotation for a very longtime.
England v NZ (at Twickers) being a very big drawcard, but with the RFU refusing to come to the party, NZR quite naturally went fuck that.

Love to know what Fiji got for the games against England and France last season.
The big money games are the games against England and France, in England and in France.
NZR are well aware of that.

75K ten years aga is just expenses.
Fiji will get a lot more than 75K this year.

As for the saffers, they are too cheap, but everybody knows that.

@Dan54 said in Nations Championship:

I also see that Japan have to play Ireland in Newcastle , Aussie. Seems shit for Japan

This is the problem with rugby.
How the fuck can a shitty little country like Ireland force a move like this.
More 6N cocksucker BS.
Ireland as a country is little more than a f'n tax dodge.
I'd posit that Japan has a bigger rugby community than Ireland.
Both in playing numbers and finances.
But that is clearly not reflected in the "traditional" power structures of WR.
WR has to have a look at itself, or this comp is guna be a one off, which probably what some vested interests want.

Japan and Fiji should join SANZAR immediately.
That'd give Sanzar 6 members, and maybe stop those 6N c unts trying to f'n boss everything.

This comp is nothing to do with WR, it's the Six Nations and TRC.

@Mr-Fish said in Nations Championship:

This comp is nothing to do with WR, it's the Six Nations and TRC.

Aren't the 6N effectively the majority of the WR security council?

@Mr-Fish said in Nations Championship:

This comp is nothing to do with WR, it's the Six Nations and TRC.

6N and SANZAR organize it, and WR oversee it.
That's why the likes of Japan and Fiji should join SANZAR; so they dont get fucked over so easy.

WR organises the next tier down, the Cup (12 teams).
The 6N would be very unlikely to dirty their hands with that . . . ughhhh.

The Nations Championship will last until it looks like a 6N team is going to relegated to the second tier, then they wont want to play anymore.

WR should get its HQ the fuck out of Dublin.
Assuming that they are only there for the tax dodge.

Sorry, I can't see the 6 Nations sides taking this competition terribly seriously.

@sparky said in Nations Championship:

Sorry, I can't see the 6 Nations sides taking this competition terribly seriously.

I agree and I find that position completely understandable. The concept seems to me to be ill thought through, cobbled together in a hurry and detrimental to the idea of player welfare. We already have the 6N, TRC, Lions tours. RWC AIs and summer tours. Do we really need MORE international rugby?

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this concept peter out as a failed experiment.

@Dan54 said in Nations Championship:

I also see that Japan have to play Ireland in Newcastle , Aussie. Seems shit for Japan

what, and the Irish love the Antipodean Geordies?

@nostrildamus said in Nations Championship:

@Dan54 said in Nations Championship:

I also see that Japan have to play Ireland in Newcastle , Aussie. Seems shit for Japan

what, and the Irish love the Antipodean Geordies?

It saves Ireland having to travel from Aus to Japan and then back to NZ. Sort of makes sense until you see that now Japan have to go from Japan to Australia and then back to Japan.

Shitty for them and bang out of order IMO.

"The ban will see the Australian miss four games, the final one being the Nations Championship opener against Italy in Tokyo on July 4."

Theo McFarland is unavailable, Scott Sio dropped, and Jacob Umaga is banned. Peter Umaga-Jensen is included. Waikato has two Samoan hookers now.

Tonga squad

Props: Phil Kite, Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, Aru Moli, Fatongia Paea, Paula Latu

Hookers: Sekope Lopeti-Moli, Sam Moli, Jay Fonokalafi

Locks: Adam Coleman, Leva Fitita, Veikoso Poloniati, Semisi Paea

Back-row: Lotu Inisi, Samu Tuitupou Junior, Jimmy Tupou, Otunuku Pauta

Scrum-halves: Sonatane Takulua, Augustine Pulu, Siaosi Nginingini

Fly-halves: Patrick Pellegrini, William Havili

Centres: Solomone Kata, Pita Ahki, Fetuli Paea, Fine Inisi

Outside backs: Otumaka Mausia, Taniela Filimone, Anzelo Tuitavuki, Telusa Veaniu