Jonny Wilkinson among three high-profile exits as ITV revamps lineup

In the UK, ITV will be the exclusive home of the Nations Championship following the recent announcement of a major new partnership that will give fans comprehensive free-to-air access to every minute of the international rugby tournament and its fixtures in July and November.

ITV’s coverage across ITV1, ITV4, ITVX, STV and STV Player will be led by presenters Jill Douglas, Ugo Monye and Lauren Salter.

They will be joined by a roster of expert pundits including Danny Care, Kyle Sinckler, Maggie Alphonsi, Rory Best, John Barclay, Greig Laidlaw, Sam Warburton, Dan Biggar, Jamie Roberts, Sean Fitzpatrick, George Gregan, Benjamin Kayser and Bryan Habana.

The commentators across the matches are Nick Mullins, Miles Harrison, Martin Gillingham, Gareth Rhys Owen, Johnnie Hammond, Claire Thomas and Nick Heath, with co-commentary from David Flatman, Ben Kay, Shane Williams, Scott Hastings, Gordon D'Arcy, Nolli Waterman and Jim Hamilton. Reporters are Topsy Ojo and Laura Jane Jones.

Notably absent from ITV’s latest line-up are Jonny Wilkinson, Brian O’Driscoll and Ronan O’Gara, all of whom featured prominently during previous Six Nations coverage.

The broadcaster’s refreshed team appears focused on blending established voices with recently retired internationals, with the additions of Care and Sinckler among the standout changes ahead of the tournament’s inaugural edition.

In the Nations Championship, twelve of the strongest international rugby nations in the world, packed with the best players in the sport, will form two groups of six teams.

The Six Nations teams represent the Northern Hemisphere, and will face the SANZAAR nations, plus invitational teams Japan and Fiji, who complete the line up representing the Southern Hemisphere. 

Representing the Northern Hemisphere:

Representing the Southern Hemisphere:

New Zealand v France

Japan v Italy

South Africa v England

Australia v Ireland

Fiji v Wales

Argentina v Scotland

New Zealand v Italy

Japan v Ireland

South Africa v Scotland

Australia v France

Fiji v England

Argentina v Wales

Japan v France

Australia v Italy

South Africa v Wales

New Zealand v Ireland

Fiji v Scotland

Argentina v England

Ireland v Argentina

Scotland v New Zealand

France v Fiji

Italy v South Africa

Wales v Japan

England v Australia

France v South Africa

Wales v New Zealand

Ireland v Fiji

Italy v Argentina

England v Japan

Scotland v Australia

England v New Zealand

Ireland v South Africa

France v Argentina

Scotland v Japan

Italy v Fiji

Wales v Australia

Sixth-place North v Sixth-place South

Third-place North v Third-place South

Fifth-place North v Fifth-place South

Second-place North v Second-place South

Fourth-place North v Fourth-place South

First-place North v First-place South

There are two blocks of trans-equatorial fixtures, with three played in July in the southern hemisphere and another three played in November in the north.

After each team has played the other six from the opposing hemisphere once, they are ranked within their own hemisphere.

The finals weekend in London will start with the sixth-placed northern hemisphere side taking on their southern hemisphere equivalent, and culminate in the two group winners taking each other on for the title.

The results on the finals weekend will also contribute to a north v south overall score and title.

World Rugby will be launching a "second division" version of the tournament and, while there is no prospect of relegation or promotion between the two, it is hoped up-and-coming nations such as Georgia, Spain and Uruguay, ranked 11th, 14th and 15th respectively, and the likes of Samoa, Tonga and the United States will benefit from games against top-tier nations on years when the Nations Championship is not being staged.