Rugby, revolution in international calendar also involves Italy's
From 2026, the world of international rugby will change face: the competitions scheduled in the classic July and November windows, dedicated to international test matches, will in fact be contextualized in a new maxi-tournament, the Nations Championship, organized by World Rugby in collaboration with the participants of the Six Nations, the four registered in the Rugby Championship and the federations of Fiji and Japan.
Italy will be part of the European Conference, along with the other protagonists of the Six Nations, but the rules stipulate that each team from one Conference will meet exclusively the six from the other: the Azzurri, from the calendar of the first edition, will face Japan, New Zealand and Australia away in the summer, while in the fall they will face South Africa, Argentina and Fiji at home.
Based on their position in their conference, the opposing national team in the Finals Weekend in London will then be determined: the two first-place teams from each conference will face each other in the finals, while the second from one grouping will play against the second from the other, and so on. Thus, the numbers of test matches played during the year by each national team remain virtually unchanged, except that those in July and November will also count for a trophy.
“The Nations Championship made official today by the collaboration between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR ushers in a new season for international rugby, making the July and November windows even more fascinating and loaded with meaning and rivalry” said FIR President Andrea Duodo, enthusiastically welcoming the change”.
“For Italian rugby, this new competition opens up unprecedented opportunities for sporting, commercial and our community– he added -At a time when our national team is confirming its growth path, continuing to attract audiences not only in Rome for the Six Nations but also during the autumn challenges, the Nations Championship will allow us to continue to evolve on the field, but also to attract new partners and new resources capable of contributing to the consolidation and evolution of our entire movement”.
