World Rugby Nations Cup launches 4 July with 12 World Cup qualifiers across two pools

The inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup kicks off in Montevideo on 4 July, with Uruguay hosting Georgia in the opening fixture of the new second-tier international competition. The tournament marks a significant expansion of the global Test rugby calendar, running across the July and November international windows.

Twelve nations have been drawn into two pools, all of whom have already secured qualification for the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia. Pool A comprises Canada, Chile, Samoa, Tonga, Uruguay and the USA, while Pool B brings together Georgia, Hong Kong China, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Zimbabwe.

Each side will play six matches across the two windows. The top-ranked team in each pool at the conclusion of the November fixtures will be crowned pool champions.

World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin described the competition’s ambition in broad terms. “This is what we’ve always wanted — a connected global calendar where every match has meaning,” he said, positioning the Nations Cup alongside the existing Nations Championship as the foundation of a restructured international schedule.

The competition is designed to give Tier 2 nations more meaningful, high-stakes rugby outside of World Cup cycles — a long-standing demand from unions in the Americas, Europe and Asia who have historically struggled to secure regular competitive fixtures against comparable opposition.

The Nations Cup runs in parallel with the Nations Championship, which also got underway this week.