The Twickenham finale of next year’s new Nations Championship event will pit the north and south of global rugby against each other in a contest to be the game’s dominant hemisphere.
The biennial 12-team event comprises six rounds of matches across the summer and autumn Test windows before three double-header fixture days on 27-29 November at Allianz Stadium to rank nations and crown champions.
The results from the ‘finals weekend’ will also contribute to a parallel contest, to decide which hemisphere prevails overall.
The Six Nations teams will be the northern hemisphere representatives, with South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Fiji and Japan as their opposition.
Southern hemisphere teams have won nine of the 10 men’s Rugby World Cups, with England’s victory in 2003 a solitary success for the north. However, the world rankings are split more evenly – with five teams from each hemisphere in the top 10.
The first round of Nations Championship matches, on Saturday, 4 July, includes a clutch of headline fixtures – with South Africa hosting England, France travelling to New Zealand and Australia facing Ireland.
Fiji are set to play their home matches at neutral grounds, given the logistical difficulties of travel to the Pacific Islands and the ability to maximise revenue at larger grounds elsewhere.
England’s match against Fiji, in the second round of fixtures, will be played in South Africa, giving Steve Borthwick’s side an extended stay in the country before they fly on to face Argentina.
