Nations Championship trophy unveiled with the battle for global dominance weeks away

The Nations Championship Trophy, the prize that the 12 strongest teams in international rugby will compete to win, has been revealed for the first time.

Standing 67cm tall and weighing 15kg, the Trophy will become the ultimate prize in the Nations Championship, awarded to the team that emerges as the dominant force in international rugby. More than silverware, it is the symbol of a new era for the sport; a tournament built by the game, for the game, its players and its fans, bringing together the world's leading rugby nations in pursuit of global supremacy.

The global nature of the Nations Championship led the design inspiration for the Trophy, with key elements including the gold-plated globe at the centre of the creation, the lines of latitude and longitude referenced in the handles that wrap around the body of the Trophy, intended to evoke the rivalry and collision of two hemispheres that is a defining feature of the uniquely competitive tournament.

The Nations Championship introduces a bold new tournament format that puts the two Hemispheres against each other. The Six Nations teams will represent the Northern Hemisphere and face the powerhouse SANZAAR nations who are joined by Fiji and Japan and compete on behalf of the Southern Hemisphere. Each team will play six fixtures against their rivals from the opposing Hemisphere group, over two chapters of the tournament, in July and November.

In the Nations Championship, every match matters to every team, with points on the line to dictate group rankings, on the way to the Nations Championship Finals Weekend.

Where a nation ranks in their group determines the rival they will face in the Finals Weekend; the three-day festival of international rugby. The teams that top their respective groups will face each other in the climactic fixture on the Sunday of the Finals Weekend, where they will compete to become the inaugural champions, lift the newly revealed Trophy and secure their place at the summit of international rugby. In doing so, they will write the first chapter in a competition designed to redefine the future of the global game.

At the unveiling of the Rugby Championship trophy, SANZAAR CEO Brendan Morris stated: “The waiting is almost over and the anticipation for the inaugural Nations Championship continues to build, and the unveiling of the new trophy signals that kick-off is not far away. SANZAAR, the players, the fans and the broadcasters are all excited by the new tournament which starts in the southern hemisphere on July 4 and heralds a new era for northern versus southern rivalry.

"SANZAAR believes innovation is vital to the ongoing growth and health of the sport, and The Nations Championship is an important part of the future. The 12 best teams in world rugby will battle it out for the overall title of Nations Championship champion, while uniquely all teams will determine, through match results in July and November and the Finals weekend, which hemisphere is dominant in the world of rugby.”

With the Nations Championship Trophy revealed, ahead of the tournament kicking off on July 4, Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, commented: “The Nations Championship will decide the dominant force in global rugby and the unveiling of the Trophy the teams will compete to win marks the final countdown to the start of a tournament that has been years in the making. Created by the game, for the game, its players and the fans, the Nations Championship is more than just a tournament, it is a catalyst of growth for a sport that is ready to go truly global.

"The Nations Championship will stand alongside the best tournaments and events in world sport, by sharing the same key ingredients that set them apart: jeopardy, unpredictability and elite athletes competing at the highest levels delivering incredible sporting drama. Every fixture in July and November is unmissable and the comprehensive access fans have through global broadcast partnership means that fans need never miss a moment of the action.”