The inaugural Nations Championship has completed its action-packed Southern Series, leaving the Springboks sitting comfortably atop the Southern Hemisphere table while France leads the Northern Hemisphere standings after three thrilling rounds.
Both South Africa and New Zealand remain the only undefeated teams across the entire competition, each collecting maximum points (15) to set up a blockbuster showdown later in the year.
Southern Hemisphere Standings & Dominance
Rassie Erasmus’ side swept through their home fixtures with clinical precision—putting 45 points past England at Ellis Park, overcoming Scotland 42-28 at Loftus, and shutting out Wales 43-0 in Durban to post an imposing +81 point differential.
| Rank | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
| 1 | South Africa | 3 | 3 | 0 | +81 | 15 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 3 | 3 | 0 | +51 | 15 |
| 3 | Australia | 3 | 1 | 2 | +29 | 8 |
| 4 | Argentina | 3 | 1 | 2 | -27 | 5 |
| 5 | Japan | 3 | 1 | 2 | -26 | 4 |
| 6 | Fiji | 3 | 0 | 3 | -96 | 0 |
Northern Hemisphere Standings & French Depth
Despite traveling Down Under with a heavily rotated squad—missing superstars Antoine Dupont, Damian Penaud, and Thomas Ramos—Six Nations champions France sit atop the Northern table with 12 points. Following a narrow 34-32 defeat to New Zealand, Les Bleus mounted a dramatic second-half comeback to sink Australia 42-26 before easing past Japan 47-15.
| Rank | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
| 1 | France | 3 | 2 | 1 | +41 | 12 |
| 2 | Scotland | 3 | 2 | 1 | +11 | 11 |
| 3 | England | 3 | 2 | 1 | +48 | 10 |
| 4 | Ireland | 3 | 2 | 1 | -1 | 10 |
| 5 | Wales | 3 | 1 | 2 | -42 | 5 |
| 6 | Italy | 3 | 0 | 3 | -94 | 0 |
Complete Tournament Results Log
Round 1
- New Zealand 34–32 France
- Japan 27–10 Italy
- Australia 33–31 Ireland
- Fiji 24–39 Wales
- South Africa 45–21 England
- Argentina 37–48 Scotland
Round 2
- New Zealand 47–17 Italy
- Australia 26–42 France
- Japan 20–36 Ireland
- Fiji 8–73 England
- South Africa 42–28 Scotland
- Argentina 35–21 Wales
Round 3
- New Zealand 40–21 Ireland
- Japan 15–47 France
- Australia 57–10 Italy
- Fiji 17–33 Scotland
- South Africa 43–0 Wales
- Argentina 24–31 England
What’s Next?
With the Southern Series concluded, the tournament takes a hiatus until November 2026 for the Northern Series. Southern Hemisphere sides will head north for the return leg, culminating in the winner of each hemisphere squaring off in the Grand Final on 29 November at Allianz Stadium in London.
