- The World Rugby Nations Cup 2026 will conclude in November with 18 fixtures involving 12 teams to take place across Europe and in Hong Kong
- USA and Georgia currently top the pools as the only unbeaten teams after the first three rounds in July
- Two inaugural champions will be crowned by end of November
- The 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
- November fixtures can be viewed at world.rugby/nations-cup
The second phase of the World Rugby Nations Cup 2026 will take place across Europe and in Hong Kong from 6-21 November as the tournament reaches a climax.
There are three more rounds of fixtures on successive weekends which will see all 12 teams competing in 18 fixtures, with two inaugural champions to be crowned.
The teams finishing top of the Americas and Pacific pool and Europe, Asia and Africa pool will earn that title and the action kicks off on 6 November when Romania host Tonga in Bucharest with another five games over the course of the weekend.
Where we stand
USA and Georgia currently top their respective pools on 14 points apiece and are the only unbeaten teams so far after both sides posted three successive wins in July.
The USA Eagles averaged 30 points per game and showed their title pedigree by edging out Portugal 30-29 at DICK'S Sporting Goods Park, Denver, Colorado in their opener.
They backed that up in impressive fashion with a 31-15 win over Zimbabwe at American Legion Memorial Stadium in North Carolina before rounding off their July campaign with a 29-22 success over Spain at Wake Med Soccer Park in Raleigh, North Carolina’s capital city.
USA now top the Americas and Pacific pool heading into the November fixtures, with Chile in second on 10 points and Samoa, Tonga, Canada and Uruguay are all currently level on seven points.
Georgia, meanwhile, showed why they are rated as a coming force in world rugby by topping the Europe, Asia and Africa pool with three wins from three on the road.
They outscored Uruguay at Estadio Charrúa in Montevideo in a thrilling 41-34 victory in round one before beating Samoa 33-12 at the Estadio Sausalito in Viña del Mar in Chile.
Georgia then showed their class again by dispatching hosts Chile 49-22 at CARR Mahuida in Santiago to sit at the top of their pool.
Portugal, meanwhile, are handily placed in second on 12 points – two points behind Georgia – with Spain and Romania level on nine points and Hong Kong China and Zimbabwe in fifth and sixth place respectively.
Recap of July highlights
The only place to start is the thrilling 42-42 draw between hosts Canada and Spain on the opening weekend of the tournament as history was made at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton.
Twelve tries and 84 points were split equally in a breathless affair on 4 July to set a new record as the highest-scoring draw in the history of test rugby.
Aerial battles, end-to-end attacks, non-stop line-breaks, and a scoreline fitting for the occasion; this was a game that had it all.
It whetted the appetite further for the upcoming Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 pool meeting between the nations next year.
So too did Tonga's 36-26 win over Zimbabwe in Denver, Colorado on the same weekend, with the two nations set to face off at Australia 2027 in Townsville, Queensland next October.
Chile recorded an impressive 38-17 win over Hong Kong China in round two in a major boost to the South American side who have been paired with the same side in Pool A at RWC 2027.
There were plenty of other exhilarating games and close-fought encounters.
Highlights reels include Georgia’s 41-34 win over Uruguay, USA’s 30-29 victory against Portugal and a 36-36 draw between Uruguay and Romania.
Romania then edged out Samoa 38-37, Hong Kong China clinched a 42-40 win over Uruguay and Canada registered a 23-19 success over Zimbabwe.
Intriguingly, of the 18 matches played in July, nine were decided by seven points or less, illustrating the competitiveness of the tournament.
What lies ahead
The November series begins on Friday, 6 November in Bucharest when Romania welcome Tonga to the Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf for the opening match of round four.
A day later, Georgia will face Canada in Tbilisi, Portugal host Chile in Lisbon, Zimbabwe take on Samoa in Wakefield, England, and Spain welcome Uruguay to Madrid, before Hong Kong China host USA in Bourg-en-Bresse in France on Sunday, 8 November.
As part of the November schedule, Zimbabwe will stage their designated home matches in England and France, while Hong Kong China will play two of their three home fixtures in France before returning to Hong Kong to host Tonga at Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground on 21 November.
The arrangements have been agreed with the respective unions for the 2026 edition, reflecting the wider European footprint of the November window, while maintaining important home-market moments where possible.
One match to keep an eye on is Uruguay’s visit to Lisbon to tackle Portugal on 21 November, a taste of what is to come in Newcastle | Awabakal-Worimi on 11 October where they meet at RWC 2027 when an historic place in the round of 16 could be on the line.
Players to watch
Uruguay hooker Joaquín Myszka enjoyed a remarkable impact during his side’s opening three fixtures against Georgia, Romania and Hong Kong China.
Although Los Teros did not win a match during July, Myszka’s influence was to be applauded. He scored in the opening 41-34 defeat to Georgia and then claimed back-to-back hat-tricks in the next two matches; a 36-36 draw with Romania and 42-40 reverse at the hands of Hong Kong China.
Zimbabwe winger Edward Sigauke certainly caught the eye during the July fixtures, scoring in the 36-26 opening defeat to Tonga. Sigauke, who made his international debut in 2024, was on target again the following week in the 31-15 loss to the USA in another ringing endorsement of his finishing prowess.
His performances for Zimbabwe in their first three Nations Cup matches attracted admiring glances from far and wide. In August, he earned a move to PREM Rugby outfit Harlequins and will hope to stays on the try-scoring trail in Zimbabwe’s upcoming Nations Cup matches against Samoa, Uruguay and Chile.
Another man to earn his stripes during the first three round of fixtures in July was talismanic Canada forward Mason Flesch. The 26-year-old – who can play in the second and back row – is noted for his assiduous work-rate and eye for a try.
He crossed the line twice in the historic 42-42 draw with Spain in the opening round and touched down again in the 23-19 victory over Zimbabwe in the final round of July fixtures.
Flesch’s star has been on the rise for some time now and earlier this month he joined PREM Rugby side Newcastle Red Bulls on a deal until the end of the 2026-27 season. During September, Flesch was a key figure for Stephen Meehan’s side as they clinched third place in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2026.
Other players who caught the eye during the first three Nations Cup fixtures were Georgia fly-half Luka Matkava, who is currently the tournament’s leading points scorer with 49 points.
Portugal winger Manuel Cardoso Pinto, meanwhile, has notched five tries with only the prolific Myszka of Uruguay ahead of him in the try-scoring charts.
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