The Wallabies will feature among the world's 12 leading rugby nations competing for global supremacy when the inaugural Nations Championship kicks off in 50 days' time.
Teams representing the North and South will face-off across six epic rounds ahead of a first-of-its-kind Finals Weekend in London in November - featuring three historic days of Test match double-headers - to determine which hemisphere is the world's pre-eminent rugby force.
The Nations Championship will be played on a biennial basis with the Wallabies opening the 2026 tournament with home Test matches against Ireland at Allianz Stadium (Sydney) on July 4, France at Suncorp Stadium (Brisbane) on July 11 and Italy at HBP Park (Perth) on July 18.
These Tests will form part of the Southern Series of fixtures which will see the Six Nations unions representing the Northern Hemisphere travel south to face the powerhouse Southern Hemisphere nations.
Kicking off on Saturday, July 4, the Nations Championship will open with a blockbuster set of three consecutive 'Super Saturdays' of Test rugby, providing fans with back-to-back fixtures each Match Day featuring the best players and teams in the international game.
The Wallabies will then head north later in the year to take on England at Allianz Stadium (Twickenham) on November 8, Scotland at Scottish Gas Murrayfield (Edinburgh) on November 15 and Wales at Principality Stadium (Cardiff) on November 21.
These matches will be part of the Northern Series in which the SANZAAR nations along with Fiji and Japan representing the Southern Hemisphere will play the remaining three rounds of group fixtures across the UK and Europe spanning Friday, Saturday and Sunday each weekend before the thrilling Finals Weekend.
The Nations Championship explained, WATCH THE VIDEO.
The Finals Weekend will place London at the centre of international rugby in late November, welcoming fans from all corners of the globe over three unmissable days. Ticket options and price points have been set to cater for the broadest set of fans and full information, plus where to view the action, can be found on the Official Nations Championship website. CLICK HERE
A global tournament with the scale and ambition of the Nations Championship will be matched by its broadcast coverage. Australian viewers can catch the action on Stan Sport and the Nine Network with major broadcast agreements across some of rugby's biggest markets giving fans access to every fixture.
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 their longstanding rugby coverage for fans in Italy.
Southern Hemisphere coverage includes Stan and Nine in Australia, SuperSport in South Africa, Wowow in Japan and Sky New Zealand, with updates regarding additional global distribution set to be made soon.
View the full set of fixtures and kick off information can be viewed HERE
Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh said:
"After years of planning and preparation, it's incredibly exciting to be just 50 days away from the start of the inaugural Nations Championship.
"Twelve teams representing the very best of the North and South will come together for a first-of-its-kind tournament to decide which hemisphere reigns supreme across six epic rounds and a thrilling Finals Weekend in London this November.
"The Wallabies - with the support of our incredible fans across Australia and around the world - are looking forward to taking on Ireland in Sydney, France in Brisbane and Italy in Perth before heading to the Northern Hemisphere later in the year to face England, Scotland and Wales ahead of the finals."
SANZAAR CEO Brendan Morris said:
"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 to ensure fans do not miss any of the action."
Six Nations Rugby CEO Tom Harrison said:
"This July sets the tone for the entire Nations Championship. Three consecutive 'Super Saturdays' with back-to-back fixtures, where every single fixture is a heavyweight clash, featuring the strongest teams in international rugby competing to win the sport's newest titles and silverware. When you add in the deep-rooted cross hemisphere rivalries, the tournament guarantees pure sporting drama for global fans.
"The confirmation of kick off times across July and November, combined with the comprehensive broadcast coverage across rugby's biggest markets highlights the commitment to give fans all over the world every opportunity to see every moment from the Nations Championship. Each fixture is a blockbuster occasion but tied together in the hugely exciting competitive tournament format that stands to put the very best of international rugby on the world stage."
