Nations Championship
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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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@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.
Along with the Tour of SA, lots of opportunity for things to get a whole lot worse for ABs fans
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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.
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@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.
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.
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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
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@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.
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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?
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@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?
