Mataiasi Stark 
Source: Fiji Rugby
Fiji Rugby has reached its biggest milestone yet, officially confirmed tonight as a tier one nation and a full participant in the new Nations Championship, set to kick off in July 2026.
The announcement was made by Fiji Rugby Union Director of Rugby Lailanie Burnes, who described the moment as “historic for Fiji, for our rugby community and for our nation.”
Burnes said Fiji’s inclusion places the Flying Fijians in a permanent, structured competition alongside the world’s rugby elite, a first in the country’s history.
“Fiji will take its rightful place as a permanent, structured competition alongside some of the very best teams in the world. Fiji is now a Tier One nation, recognised and included amongst the global elite. This is one of the most significant achievements in Fiji’s rugby journey.”
Fiji will join Japan as the two invitational Southern Hemisphere teams, completing a powerful lineup with New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina. Representing the north will be England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
Burnes said the Nations Championship, a collaboration between Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, brings together 12 of the strongest rugby nations into a single premier competition, replacing the traditional July and November test windows with high-stakes fixtures every two years.
The championship will culminate in a finals weekend in London, featuring three days of double-header matches to determine the first-ever Nations Champion.
Under the new structure, Fiji will play six cross-hemisphere tests, northern teams touring the south in July, and southern teams travelling north in November.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
