Every year, rugby has their big matches and tournaments that every fan of the sport is looking forward to. This year, both the UK and Ireland will host the best international squads in the world in two different competitions, plus we’ll see another season of the British national championship and the new Nations Championship.

Guinness Men’s Six Nations 2026 (February–March)

The Men’s Six Nations is still the centerpiece of the rugby union year, and in 2026 it runs from February 5 through March 14. Both the UK and Ireland will host the tournament in some of their most important stadiums, such as the Allianz Stadium (Twickenham), Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Principality Stadium, and the Aviva Stadium.

A few “big weekend” fixtures are already locked in. England host Wales at Twickenham on February 7 and Scotland will do the same against England at Murrayfield on February 14. The only time England and Ireland will play between them is on February 21 at Twickenham.

In Irish soil, the spiciest matches are the game against Wales, a Friday-night fixture in Dublin on March 6 that is already gathering interest among fans. That’s why the latest rugby odds in NetBet are already getting a lot of interest, trying to predict who’s the favourite for this duel.

Guinness Women’s Six Nations 2026 (April–May)

The Women’s Six Nations in 2026 runs from April 11 to May 17, mirroring the Men’s competition. However, there is a big difference for the Irish games, as it’s shaping up to be a proper “around the country” celebration. Ireland will stage its home fixtures across three different cities (Galway, Belfast, and Dublin) rather than staying in the Aviva Stadium, which will only host a headline match against Scotland in May.

That spread of venues matters for fans: it turns an international tournament into multiple smaller festivals, each with its own local feel. It also matches the wider growth of the women’s game, where bigger stadium days and more ambitious event presentations are increasingly the expectation.

England will be present in the tournament too. The Red Roses have confirmed they will play, at least, one match in London and another one in Bristol; trying to continue with their championship dominance.

The Gallagher PREM Final (June 20, 2026)

The Premiership Rugby Final has its date set for Saturday, June 20. This match will crown a new champion in the local English rugby union league, with Twickenham once again as the chosen stadium.

This match has one of the cleanest narratives in club rugby: one game, one trophy, and a season distilled into 80 minutes. Furthermore, the atmosphere is like no one else: it has the kind of pre-match buildup (and post-match celebration) that makes London an easy weekend away for rugby fans.

Rugby League’s stadium blockbusters

Rugby league’s biggest events are made for big venues, and the 2026 calendar is unusually clear on dates.

First of all, the Betfred Challenge Cup Final returns to Wemblay Stadium on Saturday, May 30. The most important knockout tournament in England starts January 10 with a first round of amateur clubs.

Then comes Magic Weekend, the summer festival where a full round of Super League fixtures is packed into one venue. For next year, Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium is the selected location, with games across July 4 and July 5.

Finally, the season finishes with the Betfred Super League Final at Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

The new Nations Championship Finals Weekend (November 27–29, 2026)

The biggest “new” entry on the calendar is the inaugural Nations Championship Finals Weekend at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, scheduled for November 27–29, 2026. This is designed as a three-day showcase to wrap up the first edition of the expanded Nations Championship, with cross-hemisphere matchups based on final standings.