How to watch Nations Championship 2026: FREE live streams for rugby tournament
Watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams as the world’s 12 best teams face off in the first northern vs southern hemisphere tournament of its kind. The new biennial competition unites the convoluted July and November international windows under one banner, bringing both silverware and substance to the table.
In essence, it’s a stripped-back World Cup with a Ryder Cup element – more on that just below.
The northern contingent comprises the Six Nations sides, while the south is represented by the four Rugby Championship sides, plus invitational participants Japan (even though it’s actually in the northern hemisphere), and Fiji.
Between them, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia have won all but one of the 10 editions of the Rugby World Cup, but while the back-to-back reigning champion Springboks continue to serve as the gold standard, the All Blacks and Wallabies have been in decline. France and Ireland, meanwhile, have emerged as genuine forces on the global stage.
Argentina and Italy have shaken up the traditional order within their respective groupings, while Scotland and England are equally capable of going toe-to-toe with the best and embarrassing themselves against the worst.
The southern nations have the more consistent schedule, and New Zealand have hit the jackpot by drawing home advantage for their clashes with Ireland and France.
The northern and southern hemisphere teams will each face off, either at home or away, across six rounds of fixtures, after which the geographic group standings will determine the matchups on Finals Weekend, a three-day festival that will culminate in the best of the north facing the best of the south in the Nations Championship decider.
The second-, third-, fourth, fifth- and sixth-placed teams will each face their opposite number too, with the results contributing to a first-to-four, Ryder Cup-style Hemisphere Group Challenge running parallel to the primary competition.
Every Finals Weekend game will be worth one point, but the Nations Championship final will be worth two. Similarly, any games that end in a draw will go to a 10-minute period of extra time with a Golden Goal-style Golden Point, apart from the final, which will go to two 10-minute periods of extra time, followed by a place-kicking shootout if the teams still can’t be separated.
Here’s how to watch Nations Championship 2026 from anywhere in the world.
Nations Championship schedule 2026
(All times UK)
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SERIES
Round 1
Saturday, July 4
8.10am – New Zealand vs France
9.40am – Japan vs Italy
11.10am – Australia vs Ireland
2.10pm – Fiji vs Wales
4.40pm – South Africa vs England
8.10pm – Argentina vs Scotland
Round 2
Saturday, July 11
6.10am – New Zealand vs Italy
8.40am – Australia vs France
11.10am – Japan vs Ireland
2.10pm – Fiji vs England
4.40pm – South Africa vs Scotland
8.10pm – Argentina vs Wales
Round 3
Saturday, July 18
8.10am – New Zealand vs Ireland
9.40am – Japan vs France
11.10am – Australia vs Italy
2.10pm – Fiji vs Scotland
4.40pm – South Africa vs Wales
8.10pm – Argentina vs England
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE SERIES
Round 4
Friday, November 6
8.10pm – Ireland vs Argentina
Saturday, November 7
11.40am – Italy vs South Africa
2.10pm – Scotland vs New Zealand
4.40pm – Wales vs Japan
8.10pm – France vs Fiji
Sunday, November 8
3.10pm – England vs Australia
Round 5
Friday, November 13
8.10pm – France vs South Africa
Saturday, November 14
11.40am – Italy vs Argentina
2.10pm – Wales vs New Zealand
4.40pm – England vs Japan
8.10pm – Ireland vs Fiji
Sunday, November 15
3.10pm – Scotland vs Australia
Round 6
Saturday, November 21
2.10pm – England vs New Zealand
2.10pm – Scotland vs Japan
4.40pm – Ireland vs South Africa
4.40pm – Italy vs Fiji
8.10pm – France vs Argentina
8.10pm – Wales vs Australia
FINALS WEEKEND
Friday, November 27
4.40pm – N6 vs S6
8.10pm – N3 vs S3
Saturday, November 28
1.10pm – N5 vs S5
4.40pm – Third-place playoff
Sunday, November 29
1.10pm – N4 vs S4
4.40pm – 2026 Nations Championship final
Can you watch Nations Championship 2026 for free?
Yes. Every Nations Championship game is free-to-air on ITVX in the UK, on Rugbypass TV in the US, and on Virgin Media Play in Ireland. Wallabies games are also available to watch on 9Now in Australia.
Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch Nations Championship 2026 for free as if you were right at home.
Use a VPN to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams
A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it’s back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams in the US
Every Nations Championship 2026 game is free-to-air on Rugbypass TV in the US.
All you need to do is create an account.
Outside the US for a game? Use NordVPN to access your usual coverage.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams in the UK
In the UK, every Nations Championship 2026 game will be free-to-air on either ITV1 or ITV4, with live streaming available via the ITVX streaming service.
All you need is an account, a TV Licence and a UK postcode (e.g.HA9 0WS). Sign up here!
Welsh-language coverage of every Wales game will be available on S4C, which can be streamed live through BBC iPlayer or S4C Clic.
If you’re out of the UK but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams in Australia
Nations Championship 2026 is split between free-to-air Channel 9 and Stan Sport in Australia.
Every Wallabies home game will be shown on Channel 9, with live streaming available via 9Now.
Stan Sport, meanwhile, is providing coverage of every Nations Championship game. Stan Sport costs AU$20/month on top of a Stan subscription, which itself starts at AU$12/month.
Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like NordVPN to watch all the action as if you were back home.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams in Canada
In Canada, Nations Championship 2026 is exclusive to Premier Sports.
You’ll need either the CA$79.99 six-month pass or the CA$139.99/year annual subscription to tune in.
If you’re out of Canada but don’t want to miss out, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams in South Africa
The Nations Championship is being shown on SuperSport in South Africa.
You’ll need the DStv Access package to watch every game of the tournament, with prices starting at Rs99/month for live streaming.
Abroad right now? Use a VPN to tell your device that you’re back home and you’ll be good to go.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 live streams in New Zealand
Sky Sport NZ is providing comprehensive Nations Championship 2026 coverage in New Zealand.
You can access Sky Sport through satellite TV or get a live stream, with the Sky Sport Now subscription service starting at $29.99 per day or $54.99 per month.
Missing a match due to work commitments abroad? NordVPN will give you access to your home streaming service.
Nations Championship 2026 FAQs
Who are the Nations Championship 2026 teams?
Nations Championship 2026 teams
Southern hemisphere
- Argentina
- Australia
- Fiji
- Japan
- New Zealand
- South Africa
Northern hemisphere
- England
- France
- Ireland
- Italy
- Scotland
- Wales
Is the Nations Championship the same as the Nations Cup?
The Nations Championship and Nations Cup are separate competitions. The former is a between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, while the latter is organised by World Rugby.
Since the Nations Championship almost exclusively comprises Tier 1 teams, and the Nations Cup emerging rugby nations, there’s no overlap between the two events.
However, Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR have raised the prospect of a relegation/promotion system in the future.
When does the Nations Championship take place?
The inaugural Nations Championship runs from Saturday, July 4 to Sunday, November 29, with three rounds taking place in July, and four – including Finals Weekend – being held in November.
The competition will take place every two years, avoiding years in which a Rugby World Cup or British & Irish Lions tour takes place.
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