Schmidt to lead Wallabies in 2026 Nations Championship: Details and key points

The Wallabies will begin their participation in the inaugural Nations Championship against Ireland, a team that defeated them 46-19 in Dublin. This defeat was the sixth in seven matches for the Australians. The event will launch in July 2026, and despite this, Joe Schmidt will remain in charge, unless Rugby Australia changes its plans. Les Kiss, coach of the Reds, will not take 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 ruled out any possibility of an early handover to Kiss.

I have no indication to the contrary.

Phil Waugh, CEO of Rugby Australia

Waugh added that work is being done to provide the necessary support to Schmidt, ensuring continuity and consistency until the end of the Nations Championship at the end of July. The current strategy is solid, and confidence is placed in the integration of a new coach after the championship. In November 2026, Australia will undertake another tour, similar to the ‘Autumn Internationals’, visiting England, Scotland, and Wales, with the competitive advantage of being part of the Nations Championship. The Wallabies will face the six teams from the “northern hemisphere”, as will the other five nations from the “southern hemisphere” involved (New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Fiji, Japan). Separate rankings will be established for the north and south, with each team facing 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 give context to the numerous matches between teams from the northern and southern hemispheres in the existing July and November windows. It is expected to generate millions of dollars in ticket sales, sponsorships, and media rights, boosting the sport and helping to combat the threat of the rebel event R360. Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, stated that the competition represents 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, CEO of Six Nations Rugby

In recognition of logistical challenges, and greater earning opportunities elsewhere, Fiji will play its home matches elsewhere. It 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 launch of the Nations Championship, World Rugby also announced a second-tier competition, the Nations Cup, which will also feature 12 teams and will be played simultaneously. There are no immediate prospects of promotion and relegation between the 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.