With Samoa narrowly securing the final spot at Rugby World Cup 2027, we know now the 12 teams set to take part in the World Rugby Nations Cup that will get underway in 2026, with Hong Kong China involved from Asia.
World Rugby said the tournament will provide important preparation for unions qualified for an expanded Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia.” The teams involved are Canada, Chile, Georgia, Hong Kong China, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Tonga, Uruguay, USA, Samoa and Zimbabwe in the 12-team competition.
The governing body commented, “World Rugby Nations Cup is linked to the top-level Nations Championship. It provides unprecedented certainty and clarity of international competition between Rugby World Cups for teams outside of major annual international competitions.”
In 2027, there will be crossover fixtures with Nations Championship teams in the run-up to the Rugby World Cup and in 2029 during a British and Irish Lions year. The fixture programme will operate between both divisions and respective unions.
World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson said: “World Rugby exists to unite people and grow the game through iconic events like the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups, and through strategic investment in programmes that expand rugby’s reach, relevance and impact. The new international calendar, featuring the men’s Nations Championship, World Rugby Nations Cup, and WXV Global Series for the women’s game, is central to that mission.
Combining with the top-level Nations Championship, the World Rugby Nations Cup provides a strong platform for our performance unions to grow through certainty of test match content competition, competitiveness and commercial revenue for the first time, which in turn will lead to stronger outcomes at Men’s Rugby World Cup, the financial engine that drives the growth of the game from the grassroots up.”
World Rugby Nations Cup 2026 Pools, Format & Schedule
In 2026, the World Rugby Nations Cup will be played across the July and November international windows (this will be the case in 2028 too).
We know the two pools are:
Pool A
- Georgia
- Romania
- Spain
- Portugal
- Hong Kong China
- Zimbabwe
Pool B
- Canada
- USA
- Chile
- Tonga
- Samoa (missing from the image above)
- Uruguay
It is important to note that the format means each team will face all six opponents from the opposite pool – this means that Hong Kong China will have matches against Canada, USA, Chile, Tonga, Samoa, and Uruguay.
- Each team will play three matches in July and three in November.
- In the 2026 (and 2028) editions, each pool will be ranked separately, with two pool champions crowned after the November matches have been completed (based on the pool competition points)
More details on the Nations Cup pools, match schedule and locations will be unveiled in due course.
Points System
All 12 nations will compete for points:
- 4 or a win
- 2 for a draw
- 0 for a loss
- Bonus points for scoring four or more tries and losing by seven points or fewer
Rugby Tournaments 2026-2027
- Understanding The Nations Championship 2026.
- 2026 HSBC SVNS Series Dates and Venues Mostly Confirmed.
- Understanding the WXV Global Series 2026-2028.
- Japan Will Join the Expanded World Rugby U20 Championship in 2026.
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