Fiji Rugby has been officially invited to compete in the inaugural Nations Championship, launching in July 2026.
Fiji joins Japan as an invitational Southern Hemisphere nation, completing a formidable lineup alongside New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and the Six Nations giants of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales of the Northern Hemisphere.
For Fiji, this guarantees regular, meaningful, world-class test rugby, a historic first for the nation.
The Fiji Rugby Union says this groundbreaking global tournament is set to redefine international rugby and elevate Fiji onto the world’s premier competitive stage every two years.
This milestone represents one of the most significant achievements in Fiji Rugby history, firmly establishing the nation among the world’s elite rugby powers.
The Nations Championship is a landmark collaboration between the Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR bringing together the 12 strongest rugby nations in a single elite competition.
The tournament transforms the traditional July and November test windows into a dynamic, high-stakes format, culminating in a spectacular finals weekend in London featuring three days of double-headers to crown the first-ever Nations Champion and determine the dominant hemisphere each cycle.
Under the new structure every nation will play six cross-hemisphere fixtures.
The Northern Hemisphere teams will travel south in July, whilst the Southern Hemisphere teams including Fiji, will travel north in November.
FRU Chairman John Sanday says this is a historic moment for Fiji.
He says being invited into the Nations Championship places us alongside the very best in world rugby.
Sanday says for our children playing on village grounds, for our families gathered to watch every test match and for Fijians everywhere, this milestone belongs to you.
He says Fiji’s rugby, courageous, dynamic and full of flair has long captured the world’s imagination, and now we have a consistent, structured top-tier stage to showcase our talent.
2026 Nations Championship Fixtures
JULY 2026 (SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SERIES) Round One (Saturday July 4)
New Zealand v France
Australia v Ireland
Japan v Italy
Fiji v Wales
South Africa v England
Argentina v Scotland
Round Two (Saturday July 11)
New Zealand v Italy
Australia v France
Japan v Ireland
Fiji v England
South Africa v Scotland
Argentina v Wales
Round Three (Saturday July 18)
Japan v France
New Zealand v Ireland
Australia v Italy
Fiji v Scotland
South Africa v Scotland
Argentina v Wales
NOVEMBER 2026 (NORTHERN HEMISPHERE SERIES) Round Four (6-8 November)
Ireland v Argentina
Italy v South Africa
Scotland v New Zealand
Wales v Japan
France v Fiji
England v Australia
Round Five (13-15 November)
France v South Africa
Italy v Argentina
Wales v New Zealand
England v Japan
Ireland v Fiji
Scotland v Australia
Round Six (21 November)
England v New Zealand
Scotland v Japan
Ireland v South Africa
Italy v Fiji
France v Argentina
Wales v Australia
FINALS WEEKEND (LONDON 2026) *All games double-headers
Friday 27 November
Sixth placed North v Sixth placed South
Third placed North v Third placed South
Saturday 28 November
Fifth placed North v Fifth placed South
Second placed North v Second placed South
Saturday 29 November
Fourth placed North v Fourth placed South
First placed North v First placed South
