South African players sing their national anthem ahead of the Rugby Championship Test match between South Africa and Argentina at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on September 27, 2025. (Photo by PHILL MAGAKOE / AFP)
The Springboks will take on England, Scotland and Wales in South Africa next July in the first instalment of the newly launched Nations Championship.
The new competition — a joint venture between Sanzaar and Six Nations Rugby to create the new biennial tournament — will see the world’s 12 biggest teams in action, all aiming to be crowned the best in the game.
The Sanzaar nations – South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina – plus invitational teams Japan and Fiji, will represent the Southern Hemisphere in the new competition, played in the two existing international windows in July and November, against the Six Nations teams, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
Following the six rounds, the Nations Championship will culminate in a first-of-its-kind Finals Weekend, which will be hosted at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham in London in November.
England (4 July), Scotland (11 July) and Wales (18 July) will head to South Africa for the midyear Tests, while it has also been confirmed that the Boks, World Cup winners in 2019 and 2023, will face Italy (weekend of 6-8 November), France (weekend of 13-15 November) and Ireland (21 November) in Europe next year to complete fixtures against all Six Nations teams.
The Finals Weekend, scheduled for 27-29 November 2026, will see three days of double headers taking centre stage in London.
Not only will all the teams be gunning to be named champion country of the world, but points will also be allocated in each match to determine the best hemisphere; all happening every two years.
The Nations Championship will not take place in 2027 as it’s a Rugby World Cup year, with a full Rugby Championship also on the schedule. In 2028, the Nations Championship schedule will be reversed, with France, Ireland and Italy coming to South Africa, while the Boks will face England, Scotland and Wales in the UK.
Venues and kick-off times for the Boks’ three home Tests next July will be confirmed by SA Rugby in due course.
The July matches will serve as an appetiser for the multi-match tour of South Africa by the All Blacks in August and September.
About the Author
