Men’s international rugby gets a new look with the launch of the Nations Championship reshaping the July and November Test windows.

The new competition pits the Six Nations sides against the four Rugby Championship competitors, plus Japan and Fiji, across six matches split evenly between the two months.

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The results of those games will determine each of the 12 teams’ seedings for the finals weekend at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium, with six matches contested over two days and both team and hemisphere silverware up for grabs.

Each entrant will be matched against the equivalent qualifier from the other pool to decide overall placings at the conclusion of a busy year of international action.

Here’s the full competition schedule, and how it will all work:

What is the Nations Championship?

Announced during the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the new competition will be held every other year and replaces the traditional summer tours and Autumn Nations Series. It is designed to add context to the international calendar, with Fiji and Japan invited to join the Six Nations and Rugby Championship sides to form a top 12. Promotion and relegation is planned for the future with the second-tier Nations Cup, though will not take place in 2026.

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The entrants are:

Northern Hemisphere: France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, England, Wales.

Southern Hemisphere: South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, Fiji, Japan.

What about the finals weekend?

The first finals weekend will be held at Twickenham on the last weekend (27 to 29) of November. Three days of double-headers will be held at the ground, with the first-placed finisher of the Six Nations sides meeting whoever tops the other pool, and so on and so forth down the rankings.

The winner of that marquee match will lift the first Nations Championship trophy, while whichever hemisphere – a term used loosely with Japan included in the “southern” section and Fiji hosting their games in the United Kingdom – wins more final matches will also be crowned. The 1st vs 1st match is worth two points, with all other matches in the finals weekend worth one.

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How can I watch it?

Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch every game on ITV after the free-to-air broadcaster struck a deal to show the competition.

Fixtures:

Southern Hemisphere Series (July)

Round One – Saturday 4 July

New Zealand vs France (8.10am BST, Christchurch)

Japan vs Italy (kick off 9.40am BST, Tokyo)

Australia vs Ireland (11.10am BST, Sydney)

Fiji vs Wales (2.10pm BST, Cardiff)

South Africa vs England (4.40pm BST, Johannesburg)

Argentina vs Scotland (8pm BST, Cordoba)

Round Two – Saturday 11 July

New Zealand vs Italy (8.10am BST, Wellington)

Australia vs France (11.10am BST, Brisbane)

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Japan vs Ireland (11.10am BST, Newcastle, Australia)

Fiji vs England (2.10pm BST, Liverpool)

South Africa vs Scotland (4.40pm BST, Pretoria)

Argentina vs Wales (8pm BST, San Juan)

Round Three – Saturday 18 July

New Zealand vs Ireland (8.10am BST, Auckland)

Japan vs France (kick off 9.40am BST, Tokyo)

Australia vs Italy (11.10am BST, Perth)

Fiji vs Scotland (2.10pm BST, Edinburgh)

South Africa vs Wales (4.40pm BST, Durban)

Argentina vs England (8pm BST, Santiago del Estero)

Northern Hemisphere Series (November)

Round Four – 6/7/8 November

Friday 6 November

Ireland vs Argentina (8.10pm GMT, Dublin)

Saturday 7 November

Italy vs South Africa (TBC, TBC)

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Scotland vs New Zealand (2.10pm GMT, Edinburgh)

Time of France vs Fiji (location TBC) and Wales vs Japan (in Cardiff) TBC

Sunday 8 November

England vs Australia (3.10pm GMT, Twickenham)

Round Five – 13/14/15 November

Friday 13 November

France vs South Africa (8.10pm GMT, Paris)

Saturday 14 November

Italy vs Argentina (TBC, TBC)

Wales vs New Zealand (TBC, Cardiff)

Ireland vs Fiji (TBC, Dublin)

England vs Japan (4.40pm GMT, Twickenham)

Sunday 15 November

Scotland vs Australia (3.10pm GMT, Edinburgh)

Round Six – 21 November

France vs Argentina (TBC, Paris)

Ireland vs South Africa (TBC, Dublin)

Italy vs Fiji (TBC, TBC)

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Scotland vs Japan (2.10pm GMT, Edinburgh)

Wales vs Australia (TBC, TBC)

England vs New Zealand (2.10pm GMT, Twickenham)

Finals weekend (27/28/29 November) – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham

Friday 27 November

Eleventh place final (4.40pm GMT): Northern 6 vs Southern 6

Fifth place final (8.10pm GMT): Northern 3 vs Southern 3

Saturday 28 November

Ninth place final (1.10pm GMT): Northern 5 vs Southern 5

Third place final (4.40pm GMT): Northern 2 vs Southern 2

Sunday 29 November

Seventh place final (1.10pm GMT): Northern 4 vs Southern 4

Nations Championship final (4.40pm GMT): Northern 1 vs Southern 1

As had been widely expected ever since Germany’s shock exit to Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup, Julian Nagelsmann has left as national team head coach, the German Football Association (DFB) confirmed on Friday.

The 38-year-old resigned from the job just three years after arriving and well before the end of his contract, which was to expire after the 2028 European Championship. The renewal of his deal in January 2025 forced the DFB into tricky negotiations, and led to a reported three-hour secret meeting the day before the official announcement.

“This decision was anything but easy for me,” Nagelsmann said in a statement.

“My top priority has always been the team’s success. After such a bitter disappointment, the team deserves the chance for a fresh start without any baggage… A special thank you also goes to the fans. You carried us, you trusted us, and you gave us energy, even during difficult times. I am truly sorry and deeply saddened that we let you down and were unable to give you more nights of football excitement at this World Cup. You deserved so much more!”

Nagelsmann’s assistants Benjamin Glück and Benjamin Hübner have also left. The DFB also stated that it is entering talks with Jürgen Klopp for the vacant head coach position, indicating that the former Liverpool and Dortmund boss has already shown a willingness to take up the role.

Nagelsmann won 23 of his 37 games in charge of Germany, losing only eight times. Three of those defeats came against Spain, Portugal and France, but two also came at the 2026 World Cup against Ecuador and then Paraguay.

His exit is yet another downturn in a coaching career that was once expected to reach the highest of heights.

Young coach makes Bundesliga history

A decade ago, Julian Nagelsmann made his debut as Hoffenheim coach in a 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga. He was the face of Germany’s new, young coaching generation. He took a side battling relegation right up the table. They beat Bayern Munich. Then came the Champions League. He told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that: “30% of coaching is tactics, 70% social competence.” He was deemed a coach beyond his years, ahead of the times, and one of the best coaches around.

He then moved to RB Leipzig, where he became the youngest coach to win a Champions League game, and then the youngest to make a semifinal. A year later, he took RB Leipzig to the German Cup final but lost.

Despite ending his two years in Leipzig without a trophy, Bayern Munich paid a reported €25 million for his services and offered him a five-year contract. He won the Bundesliga, but a shock loss to Villarreal in the Champions League hurt both the club and his reputation.

The following year, it all unraveled for Nagelsmann. His firing of Bayern Munich’s goalkeeper coach Toni Tapalovic caused a stir, with Manuel Neuer saying the dismissal was like “having his heart ripped out.” According to a report by The Athletic, Nagelsmann’s training was seen as too complicated and he had struggled to truly connect with the players.

In March 2023, while on a skiing holiday during the international break, Nagelsmann was sacked. He had spent just 20 months in the job. After seven full seasons of coaching in the Bundesliga, he was out of work and had just one Bundesliga title to his name.

The Germany job

Six months later, he was named Germany’s head coach. He was the “desired candidate” whose passion for the game was “infectious” — such were the words of sporting director Rudi Völler at the time.

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After a rocky start to his tenure that saw him lose in Berlin to Turkey and then away in Vienna to his mentor Ralf Rangnick, Nagelsmann had the team in form for Euro 2024 on home soil and was communicating strongly, even on topics outside of football.

Despite the quarterfinal loss to Spain in which Germany were denied a key penalty, the performance at the tournament was deemed a success. A connection had been reestablished between the team and the country. Nagelsmann was considered a key factor in Germany’s success. His emotional speech after the exit, calling to bring people togethe, was moving and were the words of a man distinctly aware of the impactful nature of a national team. In short, 2024 had been a big step in the right direction for coach and country.

In January 2025, Nagelsmann extended his contract until 2028, a decision met with lots of praise. Jürgen Klopp said he “loved Julian’s work” and thought Nagelsmann had turned Germany into a favorite for the next tournament.

However, eyebrows were raised when Nagelsmann said soon afterwards that the goal was to win the World Cup. A disappointing showing in the Final Four of the Nations League followed to dampen the mood, which was worsened when Germany’s World Cup qualifying campaign got off to a losing start against Slovakia.

“I can’t stand hearing this constant ‘quality, quality’ anymore. We have to play football with passion! In every game!” Nagelsmann railed at the time.

Germany got the job done, but as the World Cup year began, things began to unravel again as Nagelsmann’s communication became increasingly confusing. Oliver Baumann went from number one to the back-up after Manuel Neuer’s surprise recall. Joshua Kimmich was a midfielder, then a right back. Leon Goretzka was going to start, then didn’t. Deniz Undav was scoring in the Bundesliga, but considered a back-up.

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World Cup woes

And then came the World Cup. Beyond the opener against Curacao, Nagelsmann’s side were more reactive than active. They did not seize on the momentum of the comeback win in Toronto. They couldn’t hold onto a lead against Ecuador. They couldn’t finish off Paraguay. The players deserve criticism, but there have also been questions asked of Nagelsmann’s decision making, communication and sideline behavior.

Who knows what will come next for the once-future king of German coaching. For someone who has long said he doesn’t want to be coaching into his older years, perhaps there are not many stops left before he gets off the football train. Certainly his reputation after this showing has taken a hit. A return to management in Germany does not feel likely. Given the Premier League has one of the most volatile fire-and-hire approaches in world football, perhaps Nagelsmann will reappear in six to 10 months’ time on the sidelines of a English top-flight team.

Right now though, there is a real sense of confusion about how this all came to pass. For a coach with so many skills, this was not how many would have imagined Julian Nagelsmann’s career unfolding.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold

A professional wrestler was seriously injured after being attacked by the son of UFC legend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. The 26-year-old attacker was booked into LA County jail on Thursday in connection with the battery.

Los Angeles County prosecutors appeared to have made a deal with Raja Jackson earlier this year that would send him to jail for 90 days and require him to serve two years of probation. Jackson injured Syko Stu (real name: Stuart Smith) at a KNOK X Pro Wrestling event in 2025, who suffered a serious head injury and a facial fracture after the incident.

According to a report from the LA Times, Raja Jackson did not contest one count of battery with serious bodily injury and also pled guilty to engaging in violent conduct and inflicting great bodily injury. He will also have to pay restitution to the victim amounting to USD 81,703.38.

Stu spoke at yesterday’s court hearing and had the following to say:

“What happened affected me deeply, and I do not minimize the seriousness of it. The injuries I suffered led to a long and difficult recovery that I am still trying to recover from, including treatment for a severe traumatic brain injury, a shattered maxilla, and a bone graft procedure.”

The District Attorney said that certain aspects of the nature of pro wrestling were taken into account, but that did not negate the serious harm caused to Stu. The now-retired professional wrestler also said he suffered memory loss and reduced cognitive function as a result of the assault and has been unable to work for nearly a year. However, he appeared to forgive Jackson for the incident.

“I do not stand here with hatred for a desire for revenge. I hold no grudges against Mr. Jackson. People can make terrible decisions in difficult moments,” Stu added. [H/T: LA Times]

What Happened Between Raja Jackson And The Professional Wrestler?

On August 23, 2025, a serious incident took place between Raja Jackson and professional wrestler Syko Stu at a KNOK X Pro Wrestling event.

Stu had smashed a can of beer on Jackson’s head just before the event, which appeared to antagonize the trained MMA fighter. Later during the show, and allegedly egged on by other wrestlers, Raja took matters into his own hands and attacked Syko Stu, who was in the middle of a bout.

He knocked the wrestler unconscious and kept assaulting him till he was pulled away by other athletes present at the scene. Stu was immediately admitted to the hospital with a serious head injury, including a facial fracture.

Jackson was eventually arrested for the act, and his bond was set at USD 50,000.