Schmidt to Coach Wallabies at 2026 Nations Championship

The Wallabies will begin their participation in the inaugural Nations Championship against Ireland, a team that defeated them 46-19 in Dublin on Saturday, marking their sixth loss in seven matches. They will have a long preparation period, as the event will launch in July 2026. However, unless Rugby Australia changes its plans, Joe Schmidt will remain in charge, with Les Kiss, coach of the Reds, taking over until the end of that month. Schmidt will also oversee the matches against France, whom the Wallabies face 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

Waugh added that they are aware of the work and external pressures, and need to ensure they provide the right support to the coach. He stated that they will continue to ensure continuity and consistency in the environment, with Joe leading the team until the end of the Nations Championship at the end of July. In November 2026, Australia will undertake another tour, visiting England, Scotland, and Wales, with the competitive advantage of being part of the Nations Championship. The northern and southern hemisphere teams will be classified in separate tables, and each team will face its equivalent in the final weekend at Twickenham at the end of November. The results will count towards a North versus South score, as well as determining the world champion.

The new competition, which will be played every two years in years without a World Cup or a British and Irish Lions tour, will provide context to the many test matches between teams from the northern and southern hemispheres in the existing July and November windows. The competition is expected to generate millions of dollars in ticket sales, sponsorships, and media rights, which will boost the sport and help combat the threat of the rebel event R360. Tom Harrison, CEO 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

In recognition of logistical challenges and greater earning opportunities elsewhere, Fiji will play their home matches elsewhere. They will face England in South Africa and Wales and Scotland in the UK. To accommodate the event, and the series of recently announced 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 calendar, World Rugby also announced on Monday a second-tier competition, the Nations Cup. That competition will also have 12 teams and will be played simultaneously. There are no immediate prospects of 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.