In 50 days, the Nations Championship makes its debut, with the 12 strongest teams in international rugby lining up in two groups of six, representing the Northern and Southern Hemisphere respectively, to begin their campaign to win the first ever edition of the new biennial tournament.
Turning the two existing July and November international rugby windows into one cohesive and competitive tournament where every match matters to every team, the Nations Championship injects greater jeopardy and meaning into every fixture, with points, titles and silverware on the line. By the conclusion of the tournament, fans and players will know who the best team in the world is, and the dominant hemisphere in international rugby.
The ‘Southern Series’ of fixtures in July sees the Six Nations unions representing the Northern Hemisphere travel south of the equator to face the powerhouse Southern Hemisphere nations. Kicking off on Saturday July 4th at the One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch; the first ever Test match hosted at the new venue, the Nations Championship opening weekend will deliver a blockbuster set of fixtures that pave the way for three consecutive ‘Super Saturday’s’ across July, giving fans back-to-back fixtures each match day, featuring the best players and teams in the international game.
Ireland will play Australia at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on the opening weekend, July 4, with the game kicking off at 20:10 Australian time, 11:10 am Irish time. In Round 2, July 11 Ireland head to Newcastle, New South Wales, to play Japan with the same kick off time as Round 1.
Ireland then travel to New Zealand to face the All Blacks in Eden Park a week later, July 18, with the game kicking off at 19:10 or 8:10 am Irish time.
Fast forward to November for the ‘Northern Series’, and the Nations Championship dominates the entire month, turning the Northern Hemisphere into the centre of international rugby. The remaining three rounds of group fixtures span Friday, Saturday and Sunday each weekend, culminating in the first of its kind Finals Weekend in London at the end of November.
Ireland’s games at Aviva Stadium in the Northern Series kick off with Argentina on Friday, November 6 at 20:10 followed by Fiji on Saturday, November 14 at the same time. The final round sees Ireland take on the Springboks on Saturday, November 21 at 16:40. Tickets for the games in November will go on sale in July.
A totally new and unique concept for rugby union, the Finals Weekend will take over London; one of the sporting capitals of the world, and welcome fans from all corners of the globe. To make the three-day festival of rugby open to as many fans as possible, ticket options and price points have been set to cater for the broadest set of fans. Full ticket information and options can be found on the official Nations Championship website.
A global tournament with the scale and ambition of the Nations Championship will be matched by its broadcast coverage. Major new broadcast partnerships, including comprehensive Free-To-Air access across some of rugby’s biggest markets will give fans access to every fixture from the Nations Championship.
In the UK, ITV and STV will be the exclusive home of the Nations Championship, covering every single fixture in July, November and the Finals Weekend. Virgin Media Television in Ireland, and TF1 in France add to the major Free-To-Air broadcast coverage, with Sky Italia adding to its longstanding rugby coverage for fans in Italy. Southern Hemisphere coverage includes Stan and Channel 9 in Australia, and Sky New Zealand, with additional global distribution set to be confirmed soon.
By connecting the July and November windows in the international rugby calendar, fans and players know that every match in July has a direct consequence on the remaining fixtures in November, and ultimately the Finals Weekend, in London, where a winning team will be crowned. Adding an extra competitive dynamic to the Finals Weekend, in each edition, teams will be competing to earn points for their group that will answer one of the oldest questions in the sport: which Hemisphere is dominating international rugby?
With the Nations Championship 50 days away, and kick off times confirmed across its July and November fixtures, Tom Harrison, Six Nations Rugby CEO, commented:
“This July sets the tone for the entire Nations Championship. Three consecutive ‘Super Saturdays’ with back-to-back fixtures, starring the best teams in the sport, all competing to win the sport’s newest titles and silverware. When you add in the deep-rooted rivalries between the two hemispheres, the tournament will guarantee pure sporting drama for global fans.
The schedule of fixtures and kick off times across the tournament highlights the commitment to give global fans access to an incredible set of clashes and structured in a way that means they need never miss a moment of the action. This is only enhanced by the incredible broadcast partnerships, including major Free-To-Air access across some of the biggest rugby markets in the world. When the Nations Championship kicks off, it will put the players, teams and sport on the global stage, ushering in a new chapter in rugby’s history.”
SANZAAR CEO Brendan Morris stated:
“The countdown is on and the Southern Hemisphere teams are excited at the prospect of hosting the first series of matches in July. The inaugural fixture, and first international rugby match at the new One NZ Stadium in Christchurch between New Zealand and France, will ignite three Super Saturdays of action. July 4 will see action spread across major world cities as Australia host Ireland in Sydney, South Africa host England in Johannesburg, Argentina host Scotland in Cordoba and Japan host Italy in Tokyo, while Fiji will play Wales in Cardiff.”
“This is a feast of top-level rugby for sports fans around the world with 18 matches making up the Southern Series in July. All matches will be televised globally by our Rights Holding Broadcast partners with the schedule staggered to ensure fans will not miss any of the action.”
Australia v Ireland, Saturday, July 4, Allianz Stadium, Sydney, 8:10pm/11:10am – Ticket Details
Japan v Ireland, Saturday, July 11, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, NSW, 8:10pm/11:10am – Ticket Details
New Zealand v Ireland, Saturday, July 18, Eden Park, Auckland, 7:10pm/8:10am – Ticket Details
Ireland v Argentina, Friday, November 6, Aviva Stadium, 8:10pm
Ireland v Fiji, Saturday, November 14, Aviva Stadium, 8:10pm
Ireland v South Africa, Saturday, November 21, Aviva Stadium, 4:40pm
Tickets for Ireland’s Northern Series matches in Aviva Stadium will go on sale in July with a priority window for members of the Irish Rugby Supporters Club.
Friday 27, Saturday 28 Sunday 29, Allianz Stadium, London – Tickets On Sale Now
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