50 Days to go until the Nations Championship debuts with three consecutive ‘Super Saturdays’

In 50 days, the Nations Championship makes its debut, with the 12 strongest teams in international rugby lining up in two groups 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 4, the Nations Championship opens with a blockbuster set of three consecutive ‘Super Saturdays’ across July, giving fans back-to-back fixtures each match day, featuring the best players and teams in the international game.

Fast forward to November for the Northern Series and the Nations Championship dominates the entire month. The remaining three rounds of group fixtures span Friday, Saturday and Sunday each weekend, then culminates in the first of its kind Finals Weekend in London at the end of November.

A totally new and unique concept for rugby union, the Finals Weekend in London will turn one of the worlds sporting capitals into the centre of international rugby, welcoming 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, plus where to view the action, 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 broadcast agreements, across rugby’s biggest markets will give fans access to every fixture from the Nations Championship.

The tournament gets underway on July 4 and kicks-off with an historic clash between the All Blacks and France at the new One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch. It will be the first ever Test match played at the Stadium and will signal the start of the journey towards London this November, and the Nations Championship Finals Weekend.

With the Nations Championship 50 days away and kick off times confirmed across its July and November fixtures, 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 to ensure fans do not miss any of the action."

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, 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.”