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, the 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, 4th July, when reigning Six Nations Champions France travel to Christchurch to take on the All Blacks. It will be the first-ever Nations Championship fixture and the very first international rugby fixture at One New Zealand Stadium, with tickets to the blockbuster opening clash between the two heavyweight rivals selling 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, which then decide opponents for the Nations Championship Finals Weekend: 1st placed Northern Hemisphere team versus 1st placed Southern Hemisphere team, all the way through to 6th versus 6th.
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 at stake 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 served 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.
