Rugby Nations Championship debut with new trophy and broadcast deal

The newly created Nations Championship, a biennial competition that pits the Six Nations unions against the SANZAAR bloc plus Fiji and Japan, will kick off in July and continue into November. Twelve of the world's strongest rugby nations will play six matches each across two windows, with the tournament culminating in a Finals Weekend to crown the inaugural champion and the Hemisphere Crown.

S4C has secured broadcast rights to show all of Wales's games in the competition, delivering live coverage on television, streaming and the BBC iPlayer. The first Wales fixtures will be against Fiji on 4 July, Argentina on 11 July and South Africa on 18 July. In addition, the tournament’s new trophy—standing 67 cm tall, weighing 15 kg and featuring a gold‑plated globe—has been unveiled, symbolising the global nature of the event.