Schmidt confirmed to lead Wallabies in the 2026 Nations Championship

The Wallabies will begin their participation in the inaugural Nations Championship by facing Ireland, the team that defeated them 46-19 in Dublin last Saturday, marking their sixth loss in seven matches. They will have a long preparation period, as the event will launch in July 2026. Despite this, and unless there is a change of plans by Rugby Australia, Joe Schmidt will remain in charge of the team, while Les Kiss, coach of the Reds, will not take over until the end of that month. Schmidt will also coach the matches against France, who the Wallabies will play this weekend, and Italy, who defeated them earlier this month.

Despite the coach’s unfavorable results since the Wallabies surprised South Africa in August, with only two wins in eight matches, Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh has ruled out any possibility of an early transition to Kiss.

I have no indication to the contrary.

Phil Waugh, Rugby Australia CEO

Waugh added that they are aware of the work and external pressures, and that they must ensure adequate support for Schmidt. Furthermore, he stated that they will continue to provide that level of continuity and consistency in the environment, with Schmidt at the helm until the end of the Nations Championship in July. In November 2026, Australia will undertake another tour, similar to the “Autumn Internationals”, visiting England, Scotland, and Wales, but with the competitive advantage of being part of the Nations Championship. At that point, they will have played against the six teams from the “northern hemisphere”, as well as the other five participating “southern hemisphere” nations (New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Fiji, Japan, the latter designated as “southern hemisphere” despite being geographically north of the equator). North and South will be classified into separate tables, and each team will face its equivalent on the final weekend at Twickenham at the end of November. The results will count towards a North versus South score, as well as determining a world champion.

The new competition, which will be played every two years in the years without a World Cup or a British and Irish Lions tour, will give context to the numerous test matches between teams from the northern and southern hemispheres in the existing July and November windows. More importantly, it is expected to generate millions of dollars in ticket sales, sponsorships, and media rights, which will boost the sport and help the organization combat the threat of the rebel event R360. Tom Harrison, Chief Executive of Six Nations Rugby, stated that the competition marks a “tectonic shift in the sport” and “has the power to redefine the future of rugby.”

The strongest rugby nations have collaborated with a clear vision to grow the game, challenging traditional ways of operating to create a tournament structure with genuine global relevance, which will unlock the true value of the sport.

Tom Harrison, Chief Executive of Six Nations Rugby

In recognition of logistical challenges, and greater earning opportunities elsewhere, Fiji will play its home matches elsewhere. They will face England in South Africa and Wales and Scotland in the UK. To accommodate the event, and the recently announced series of tests between the All Blacks and the Springboks next year, the Rugby Championship will not be played in 2026. In addition to the Nations Championship match schedule, World Rugby also announced on Monday a second-tier competition, the Nations Cup. This will have 12 teams and will be played simultaneously. There are no immediate prospects for promotion and relegation between levels. They are already qualified for the Nations Cup: Canada, Chile, Georgia, Hong Kong, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Tonga, Uruguay, United States and Zimbabwe, and the twelfth team will be Belgium or Samoa.