The Fiji Rugby Union has confirmed that the national side has been officially invited to compete in the first-ever Nations Championship, a major international tournament set to kick off in July 2026 and reshape the global rugby calendar.

The invitation marks a landmark moment for Fiji, placing the country firmly among the sport’s top-tier nations.

Fiji and Japan have been selected as the two invitational Southern Hemisphere sides, joining a powerful field that includes New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, and all six teams from Europe’s Six Nations: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.

The Nations Championship created through a partnership between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR will unite the world’s 12 strongest teams in a single, recurring competition.

It replaces the traditional July and November test windows with a more competitive structure and will conclude with a three-day finals event in London, where double-header matches will determine both the overall champion and the leading hemisphere every two years.

Under the format, each team will play six cross-hemisphere fixtures. Northern Hemisphere sides will tour the south in July, while Southern Hemisphere teams, including Fiji, will head north in November. For Fiji, this means guaranteed access to regular, high-quality test matches an unprecedented development for the island nation.

FRU Chairman John Sanday said the invitation represents a breakthrough for the sport in Fiji and for the generations of players and supporters who have carried its rugby legacy.

He described Fiji’s inclusion as a testament to the nation’s hard-fought rise and its style of play that has long captured global attention. “We now have a stable, elite platform to showcase our athletes and take Fiji rugby to new heights,” he said.