Following three rounds of Southern Series action in July, the cross-hemisphere record between North and South sits deadlocked at nine wins apiece.
The Ireland Men's team contributed two of those victories, beating Australia (33-31) and Japan (36-20) Down Under, and will resume their campaign in November with Argentina, Fiji, and South Africa all visiting the Aviva Stadium.
Any remaining tickets for Ireland's Nations Championship matches in Dublin are on sale here via Ticketmaster. A reminder to only buy tickets from official sources.
When the competition resumes for the Northern Series, every tackle, try, and bonus point will dictate the final standings before all 12 nations descend on London to settle one of the sport's fiercest debates: which hemisphere is truly the dominant force in world rugby?
The Hemisphere Shield stands alongside the Nations Championship Trophy as one of the competition's two defining prizes, reflecting the two battles taking place every time teams take the field.
Each nation is fighting to become the outright Nations Championship winner, while every Finals Weekend result simultaneously contributes to the larger contest determining whether North or South reign supreme.
Hemispheres really will collide on Finals weekend, when for the first time, the traditional rivalry between North and South has been given a structure, a scoreline and a worthy prize.
To give this North-versus-South collision a physical form, the Nations Championship turned to Thomas Lyte, the Royal Warrant-holding luxury goldsmiths and silversmiths.
Having crafted the main Nations Championship and the Guinness Men's Six Nations trophies, Thomas Lyte bring world-class pedigree to their London fine silver workshops.
Conceptually built around the theme of 'two hemispheres colliding', the shield's design mirrors physical geography and high-intensity sporting drama:
The sculptural outer form takes direct inspiration from tectonic plates and the dramatic ridges created when massive forces collide. A spiralling silver-plated relief runs around the edge of the 50cm shield, creating a powerful sense of movement and energy.
At its centre, a layered, engraved compass-inspired design provides another geographic nod, with gold-plated detailing drawing the eye directly toward the central Nations Championship icon.
Designed specifically with the moment of victory in mind, the rising and falling silver-plated forms interact dynamically with stadium lights, casting striking reflections as the winning side lifts the shield.
The piece sits securely in a bespoke domed base, featuring lines of longitude and latitude hand-chased into its silver-plated surface - creating a seamless design family connection with the primary Nations Championship trophy.
The Hemisphere Shield scoring system turns all six matches across Finals Weekend into a unified points race:
The Format: Finals Weekend features three double-headers across November 27, 28, and 29, pitting each hemisphere's nations directly against their equivalent ranked opponent (1 v 1, 2 v 2, down to 6 v 6).
The Points: A total of seven points are available across the weekend.
Matches 2 v 2 through 6 v 6: Each victory is worth 1 point. In the event of a draw, extra time will be played. If still tied after extra-time, each hemisphere receives 0.5 points.
The 1 v 1 Showdown: The grand final match carries double weight, awarding 2 points to the winner. If tied after extra-time, a high-drama penalty shootout will decide the outcome.
Winning Target: The first hemisphere to reach 4 points officially claims the Hemisphere Shield.
For the leadership behind both joint-venture partners - Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR - the Shield adds an unprecedented narrative layer to the global international window.
Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, commented: "For fans, three days of back-to-back fixtures featuring the 12 best teams packed with the best players in rugby, and unprecedented access to tickets, guarantees an incredible experience that will turn London into the ultimate closing party of international rugby this year."
SANZAAR CEO Brendan Morris stated: "For the players, representing your country will always carry enormous pride, but the Nations Championship adds another dimension.
"Make no mistake about it, the Southern teams will have the full support of SANZAAR and rugby fans in the south, and the teams will be primed and ready to go for November. We want the silverware heading south."
