Nations Championship: what to know as Ireland face Argentina to open the November series
Ireland host Argentina in Dublin on November 6, 2026 to open the Nations Championship's November rounds. Kick-off, teams, table and how the final works.
The essentials: The November half of rugby’s new Nations Championship starts on Friday, November 6, 2026, when Ireland host Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin (kick-off 8:10 pm). Over three weekends, the six European teams play the six southern nations for places in a finals weekend at Twickenham, London, from November 27 to 29.
What is the Nations Championship?
It is a new competition that turns the traditional July and November international windows into a single tournament. It will be held every two years, outside Rugby World Cup and British & Irish Lions years, Rugby Australia explains.
Twelve teams are split into two groups of six:
- North: the Six Nations teams (England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales);
- South: Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, plus Fiji and Japan.
Each team plays every side in the other group once, three times at home and three away. Rounds one to three were played in July, mostly in the southern hemisphere. Rounds four to six take place in Europe in November. A win earns four points, a draw two, and bonus points are available for scoring four tries or losing by fewer than eight points.
How does the finals weekend work?
The final table in each group sets the finals weekend at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. Each team plays the side that finished in the same position in the other group: first against first in the final on Sunday, November 29, second against second, and so on down to sixth against sixth. There is no promotion or relegation in this first edition.
Where do the teams stand after July?
| North | Pts | South | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 12 | South Africa | 15 |
| Scotland | 11 | New Zealand | 15 |
| England | 10 | Australia | 8 |
| Ireland | 10 | Argentina | 7 |
| Wales | 5 | Japan | 4 |
| Italy | 0 | Fiji | 0 |
Table after the July rounds (three matches per team). Source: Wikipedia.
Ireland’s July series ended with a 40-21 defeat to New Zealand in Auckland, RTÉ recalls. Argentina beat Wales, then lost to Scotland and England.
What do you need to know about Ireland v Argentina?
| Date and time | Friday, November 6, 2026, 8:10 pm |
| Venue | Aviva Stadium, Dublin |
| Referee | Luke Pearce (England) |
| TV | ITV (UK), Virgin Media (Ireland) |
| Ireland captain | Dan Sheehan |
| Argentina captain | Julián Montoya |
Sources: Aviva Stadium, RTÉ, Autumn Internationals.
Andy Farrell makes seven changes from the side that started the defeat in Auckland, according to RTÉ. Sam Prendergast has been passed fit to start at fly-half alongside Craig Casey. Caelan Doris, Jack Conan, Jack Crowley and Garry Ringrose are missing. Argentina, coached by Felipe Contepomi, have added the defence coach Shaun Edwards, a former Wigan team-mate of Farrell, to their staff until the end of the next World Cup.
The two teams have met 20 times since 1990, with 14 Irish wins and six for Argentina, according to Autumn Internationals. The last meeting, in November 2024, ended 22-19 to Ireland.
“We know that this is going to be an unbelievably tough start to an international season,” Farrell said, quoted by RTÉ.
What else is on this weekend?
Round four also includes Italy v South Africa, Scotland v New Zealand, Wales v Japan, France v Fiji and England v Australia, Rugby Australia’s schedule shows. Round five follows on November 13-15 and round six on November 21, before the finals weekend in London.
