Championnat des Nations 2026 rugby on TF1, Digi Mart USA News: The Nations Championship rugby competition resumes on Friday, November 6, 2026, on TF1, TMC, TFX and TF1+, according to a report published by Serie News. France, described as the solid leader of the Northern Hemisphere, will play three decisive matches, all broadcast free-to-air.
The Nations Championship is a new global tournament that pits the major Northern Hemisphere nations against the best Southern Hemisphere teams. Each team aims to finish first in its hemisphere to reach the final.
After the first three rounds, South Africa, the reigning world champion, leads the Southern Hemisphere, followed closely by New Zealand. In the North, France sits at the top of the standings, followed closely by Scotland, England and Ireland.
The format features cross-hemisphere matchups over several rounds, which are often rare outside the Rugby World Cup, before a final weekend. France will face Fiji on Saturday, November 7 at 9:00 p.m.
on TF1 and TF1+, South Africa on Friday, November 13 at 9:00 p.m., and Argentina on Saturday, November 21 at 9:00 p.m. Other high-profile fixtures include England versus New Zealand and Ireland versus South Africa.
TF1 has assembled a team of commentators for the broadcasts. Stefan Etcheverry and Thomas Lombard will call the France matches, Pierre Daudiès and Xavier Garbajosa form the second pairing, and Nicolas Delage and Marie Sempéré make up the third.
Isabelle Ithurburu will host Le Mag, a pre-match and in-stadium program with former international Christian Califano, featuring interviews, analysis and behind-the-scenes reports.
The partnership brings international rugby to free-to-air channels of the TF1 group for several seasons. During the July summer phase, eighteen matches were broadcast on TF1, TMC and TF1+.
France won two matches and lost one, scoring sixteen tries in three matches, despite early-morning kickoffs caused by the time difference with the Southern Hemisphere. The final will be played on Sunday, November 29, 2026, at Twickenham in London, with six matches over three days from November 27 to 29 to determine the champion nation and the winning hemisphere.
