Everything you need to know about the Nations Championship and the Springboks' permutations
We break down the structure of the Nations Championship, the July standings, and what the Springboks require to top the Southern group.
The Nations Championship, a biannual global rugby tournament, debuted this year as a replacement for traditional Six Nations tours and November Tests. Organized by World Rugby, the Six Nations Unions, and SANZAAR, the event features 12 leading Test nations split into Northern and Southern Hemisphere divisions. The Springboks, unbeaten thus far, have secured wins against England, Scotland, and Wales, accumulating a maximum 15 points – matching New Zealand's record.
The competition structure eliminates inter-hemisphere matchups, with teams facing opponents from the opposite hemisphere across July and November fixtures. South Africa aims to top the Southern Hemisphere group, while New Zealand seeks to surpass them. Crucial clashes against France and Ireland follow, with a successful run guaranteeing top position if South Africa maintains their points differential advantage.
The final clash at the Nations Championship Finals Weekend in London determines the hemisphere champion.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 3 other outlets
- Springboks expected to make strong Nations Championship start against depleted Italy iol.co.za
- Nations Championship: All the remaining fixtures citizen.co.za
- Nations Championship month to offer World Cup clues channelnewsasia.com
