Summer Internationals 2026
The traditional summer rugby tours undertaken by the home unions will give way to the launch of the new 'Nations Championship' in 2026. The competition will consist of six rounds of matches plus a finals weekend, split across the Summer and Autumn Internationals.
Played every two years – in between Rugby World Cup and Lions Tour years – the tournament features two groups of teams competing in a Northern vs Southern Hemisphere format.
The Northern Hemisphere will be represented by England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales (the Six Nations teams), while the Southern Hemisphere group includes South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina (the SANZAAR nations), along with Fiji and Japan as invitational teams.
The 2026 edition is scheduled to begin on Saturday 4th July, with the opening three rounds to be played as part of the Summer Internationals.
Summer Internationals 2026 Fixtures
All kick-off times are shown in UK / Ireland time with local time shown in brackets (if applicable).
Warm-up Matches
Friday 19th June 2026
Saturday 27th June 2026
ROUND 1
Saturday 4th July 2026
New Zealand v France
One NZ Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 8:10am (7:10pm local)
Japan v Italy
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo
Kick-off: 9:40am (5:40pm local)
ROUND 2
Saturday 11th July 2026
New Zealand v Italy
Hnry Stadium, Wellington
Kick-off: 6:10am (5:10pm local)
ROUND 3
Saturday 18th July 2026
Japan v France
Japan National Stadium, Tokyo
Kick-off: 9:40am (5:40pm local)
For information about tickets and where to purchase them, please read our guide here: How to buy Summer International rugby tickets.
