World Rugby Nations Cup heads to the Americas in July for inaugural 2026 edition

• The World Rugby Nations Cup kicks off this year with July matches hosted across the Americas and three match days between 4 and 18 July.
• The World Rugby Nations Cup combines with the Nations Championship to provide the world’s best 24 teams with access to top-level and meaningful competition ahead of Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027.
• July fixtures can be accessed at world.rugby/nations-cup

World Rugby has unveiled the match schedule for the inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup, set to take place throughout July and November 2026, with the tournament first-ever fixture taking place in Montevideo on 4 July as Uruguay host Georgia. Currently ranked 15th and 13th respectively in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings, the two nations promise a highly competitive and compelling opener to the first edition of the competition, setting the tone for a new global era of international rugby.

The competition sees the 12 unions who qualified for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 compete in a structured environment designed to accelerate competitiveness and create certainty of meaningful annual test fixtures with revenue opportunities. The exciting schedule balances geographic spread, player welfare, logistics cost and developmental opportunity, providing fans with clarity, teams with certainty, and unions with commercial opportunities.

These nations represent rugby’s most exciting growth markets, many of whom have made significant strides in recent years through dedicated pathways, increased investment, and record levels of supporter engagement. The Nations Cup gives them an annual platform to test themselves against comparable opposition, refine systems, and optimise experience ahead of Australia 2027.

A format mirroring the Nations Championship

The 12 participating unions will compete in two pools of six, reflecting the structure of the top division, the Nations Championship, and ensuring a consistent, meaningful calendar across the July and November international windows. Pool A – Americas & Pacific pool – features Canada, Chile, Samoa, Tonga, Uruguay, and the USA, bringing together fast‑growing unions across both hemispheres. Pool B – Europe, Asia & Africa pool – comprises Georgia, Hong Kong China, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Zimbabwe, creating a competitive cross‑regional group with diverse playing styles and passionate supporter bases.

Each team will face every other team within the other pool in a full round‑robin format spanning both windows. Match points will combine into a single standings table, and at the end of November the top‑ranked union in each pool will be crowned the inaugural Nations Cup champions. This structure guarantees equal opportunity, competitive balance, and a compelling year‑long narrative for fans and unions alike.

18 matches split evenly across North and South America

Across a landmark month of July, fans will be treated to 18 test matches staged in some of the most passionate and fast developing rugby regions in the Americas. From major North American sports hubs to vibrant South American rugby cities, supporters can immerse themselves in compelling rivalries and back-to-back fixtures in Denver, Santiago, Montevideo, Edmonton, and Winnipeg, transforming each venue into a true rugby festival and delivering exceptional value for fans throughout the window.

Unprecedented global content in North America

North America will play a central role in the inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup, with the United States and Canada hosting a combined nine fixtures that showcase the breadth and diversity of emerging rugby nations. Denver, Charlotte, and Cary will host premium international action, including the global‑flavoured Tonga v Zimbabwe encounter, which not only highlights rugby’s expanding reach but will also be a Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 Pool F fixture next year.

Canada’s schedule spans Edmonton and Winnipeg, where local supporters will enjoy elite men’s internationals featuring the national team and visiting sides across five compelling matchups. Together, these fixtures represent some of the most exciting content delivered to North America in a single July window, offering fans unprecedented access to global competition while creating vital momentum as the region builds toward hosting Men’s Rugby World Cup 2031 in the United States.

Bespoke support of Pacific Nations

To ensure equitable opportunity for Pacific unions, Tonga and Samoa will be proactively supported by World Rugby to accommodate for playing Nations Cup fixtures outside their home territories. This approach is designed to deliver financial stability, support long-term development, and ensure that both unions benefit from the global exposure of the competition while maintaining sustainable structures for the future.

In parallel to the Nations Cup, World Rugby is providing tailored operational support to Fiji as they prepare for their July Nations Championship fixtures. Ensuring strong alignment between competitions is critical to the success of the new global calendar, and targeted support will help Fiji make the most of the expanded competitive opportunities available in the UK where they will play fixtures in Wales, England and Scotland.

A new identity designed for global reach

The new logo introduced for the World Rugby Nations Cup 2026 celebrates the ambition, unity, and upward momentum of the game’s most promising nations as their journeys converge on the global stage. The World Rugby shield embodies the competitive spirit of the 12 participating teams, each rising line representing a nation striving to elevate its performance, strengthen its identity, and earn the opportunity to be promoted into the Nations Championship. The mark reflects both tradition and transformation, capturing a tournament built on growth, opportunity, and the future of the sport.

All matches will be available either through domestic broadcast partners or on RugbyPass TV, ensuring global accessibility for fans following their teams. This hybrid model maximises reach, supports commercial growth, and reinforces rugby’s commitment to providing free-to-air access in underserved markets.

World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson said: “The inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup is a major milestone for the global game. The competition is creating unprecedented opportunities for these promising teams to test themselves, build experience, inspire supporters home and away, and grow their commercial footprint. Staging the first half of the tournament across the Americas reflects the enormous potential of the region, from the deep passion of South American fans to the outstanding venues and growing interest in the North. This is a tournament built on growth, connection, and the belief that every union should have a clear pathway to compete and thrive at the highest level.”

The November schedule, forming the second half of the Nations Cup 2026 and played in Europe and Asia, will be announced in due course. This window will help complete a full year of competitive fixtures for emerging nations, providing them with the same consistency and intensity that Men’s Six Nations and Rugby Championship teams have historically enjoyed.

WORLD RUGBY NATIONS CUP – JULY SCHEDULE
View the July schedule >>

Round 1 – 4 July

Round 2 – 11 July

Round 3 – 18 July