Schmidt to lead Wallabies until 2026: Confirmed course for the 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. This will be their sixth defeat in seven matches. Although they will have time to prepare, as the event will launch in July 2026, they will remain under the direction of Joe Schmidt, unless Rugby Australia changes plans. Les Kiss, coach of the Reds, will not take over until the end of that month. Schmidt will also be in charge of 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 handover to Kiss.

I have no indication to the contrary.

Phil Waugh

Waugh added that they are aware of the situation and external pressures, and that they must provide adequate support to the coach. They trust the implemented strategy and the integration of the new coach after the Nations Championship. In November 2026, Australia will undertake another international tour, visiting England, Scotland, and Wales, but with the competitive advantage of being part of the Nations Championship. In this tournament, they will face the six teams from the “northern hemisphere”, as well as the other five nations from the “southern hemisphere” (New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Fiji and Japan). There will be separate classifications for the north and south, 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 give context to the matches between teams from the northern and southern hemispheres in the 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.

The competition marks a tectonic shift in the sport and has the power to redefine the future of rugby.

Tom Harrison

In recognition of the 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 series of tests announced 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 calendar, World Rugby 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.