Nations Championship countdown hits 100 days

In 100 days, history will be made when the Nations Championship kicks off and ushers in a new era for the global game. A blockbuster opening fixture between New Zealand and France, in Christchurch, New Zealand, will inaugurate the new cross hemisphere international rugby tournament.

To recognise the major milestone, London’s iconic Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square became a beacon for the nations that will descend on London in November for the first of its kind Finals Weekend and a dramatic climax to the new tournament. As the sun set on one of the sporting capitals of the world, the colours and crests of all 12 competing Nations Championship teams illuminated the famous landmark, to celebrate the tournament kicking off in 100 days, signalling all roads then lead to London for three days of back to back international rugby fixtures that will give fans an experience unlike anything else in global sport.

The Nations Championship will see the 12 strongest teams in international rugby compete to win the first edition of the new tournament claim the title of best team in the world, and establish which is the dominant hemisphere in the global game. Adopting a unique Northern versus Southern hemisphere tournament format, there will be two instalments of fixtures across July and November. In July, the Northern Hemisphere teams travel to face their Southern Hemisphere rivals for three weekends of fixtures against three different opponents. In November, the Southern Hemisphere nations travel north of the equator for the final three fixtures before all roads lead to London for the first ever Finals Weekend, where winners will be crowned.

The tournament kicks off on Saturday 4 July when reining Six Nations Champions France travel to Christchurch to take on the All Blacks. It will be the first ever Nations Championship fixture but will also be the inaugural international rugby fixture at One New Zealand Stadium, and tickets to for the blockbuster opening clash between the two heavyweight rivals sold out within four hours of going on sale.

The opening clash introduces three Saturdays of consecutive fixtures that dominate the month of July. The strongest teams in the international game are competing for points that will dictate table standings per Hemisphere group, leading into the November set of fixtures where remaining points will be fought over. Total points earned decide the final table standings per group that then decide opponents for the Nations Championship Finals Weekend; first placed Northern Hemisphere team versus first placed Southern Hemisphere team, all the way through to sixth versus sixth.

Every fixture and point matters to every team in the Finals Weekend, as the Hemisphere Champion title is also on the line, alongside the tournament Champion title.

With so much on the line for every team, London will become the centre of international rugby in November, and with 100 days to go until the tournament kicks off, the illuminated Nelson’s Column serves as a powerful reminder that the famous capital city has been the stage for some of the biggest events in global sport and the Nations Championship Finals Weekend will join this illustrious roster.

Tickets for the Nations Championship Finals Weekend are on general sale, with access to ticket options at price points to suit every fan, including day tickets which will give fans access to the two fixtures on a given day. Weekend packages are available, securing access to every fixture across the three days, or there is the ‘Support Your Team’ option, with tickets guaranteeing that fans can watch their team, regardless of the day they end up competing on.

Ticket sales for the inaugural Nations Championship Tests in South Africa – where the Springboks will face England, Scotland and Wales – will go on sale on 2 April, SA Rugby announced on Thursday, exactly 100 days before the Boks start their campaign against England in Johannesburg (4 July).

Following the Test against England, the Boks will line up against Scotland in Pretoria (11 July), and Wales in Durban (18 July).

Tickets, priced from only R450 (England Test), R375 (Scotland Test) and R250 (Wales Test), will be on sale from 10am on Thursday, 2 April, only through Ticketmaster at https://springboks.tmtickets.co.za/.

Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, said: “The excitement is really picking up for the Springboks’ international season with the announcement of the alignment camps and the 100-day countdown.

“We’re excited to welcome England back to South Africa for the first time since 2018, Scotland haven’t been here for 12 years and we last hosted Wales in 2022, so our supporters are in for a treat in July.

“We’ve taken notice of what people have been saying about ticket prices and we’ve changed the model to try and accommodate as many spectators as possible in the stadiums, while still fulfilling our need to fund our national teams and grow the game at all levels.”

With the competition kicking off in a little more than three months, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said the team were looking forward to the cross-hemisphere tournament – which will continue with the second leg in Europe in November – especially given the performances of the teams in the recent Six Nations series.

“This is an exciting new competition, and after witnessing the competitiveness of the Six Nations in general and some very tight contests, we have no doubt it’s going to be a thrilling new challenge for the Boks,” said Erasmus.

“England showed real grit in the Six Nations, although some of the results didn’t go their way, and they really showed what they are capable of against the eventual champions, pushing France all the way in Paris.

“Scotland also proved that they could be a real force by finishing third on the standings with three victories, and to be the only team to beat France, while also defeating England and Wales, they too will back themselves to put up a good showing in South Africa.

“Wales showed great development in their style of play, and the fact that they finished well with a great victory against a very tough Italian team will boost their confidence when they travel to South Africa.”

Erasmus added: “All three teams will also draw inspiration from the fact that they come off a highly competitive Six Nations competition, while we will only be beginning our season by the time we face them, so we will have to hit the ground running to be as competitive as possible against them.”

The Springboks will host their second in-person and virtual alignment camps in May, which will be followed by their first official training camp of the year in June.

Tickets, priced from only R250 per person, are already available for the Boks’ season opener against the Barbarians in Gqeberha on Saturday, 20 June – CLICK HERE.

SPRINGBOK FIXTURES

Saturday 4 July: Springboks v England (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

Saturday 11 July: Springboks v Scotland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

Saturday 18 July: Springboks v Wales (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)

Saturday 7 November: Italy v Springboks (venue TBC)

Friday 13 November: France v Springboks (Stade de France, Paris)

Saturday 21 November: Ireland v Springboks (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)

Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November: Finals Weekend (Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London)

FINALS WEEKEND FIXTURES

Friday 27 November

Sixth Place Northern Hemisphere v Sixth Place Southern Hemisphere

Third Place Northern Hemisphere v Third Place Southern Hemisphere

Saturday 28 November

Fifth Place Northern Hemisphere v Fifth Place Southern Hemisphere

Second Place Northern Hemisphere v Second Place Southern Hemisphere

Sunday 29 November

Fourth Place Northern Hemisphere v Fourth Place Southern Hemisphere

First Place Northern Hemisphere v First Place Southern Hemisphere