Nations Championship Hemisphere Shield Unveiled

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: First look of the new Hemisphere Shield onboard the London Eye, awarded to the best performing hemisphere at the inaugural Nations Championship Finals Weekend, held at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium in November 2026, at London Eye on September 25, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Nations Championship/Getty Images)

The Nations Championship Hemisphere Shield has been unveiled above the London skyline on the London Eye, and the stage for the inaugural Finals Weekend where teams will battle to decide the dominant force in global rugby, and balance of power between Hemispheres.

The Hemisphere Shield will be claimed by the Hemisphere group that earns the most number of points during the Finals Weekend, settling one of the fiercest debates in the sport: which hemisphere is truly the most dominant.

After three explosive Nations Championship rounds in July for the Southern Series, the contest between North and South is deadlocked at nine wins a piece. The competition heads into the remaining three rounds – the Northern Series that will ultimately determine the matchups for the Finals Weekend in November – with everything on the line.

The Hemisphere Shield stands alongside the Nations Championship Trophy as one of the competition’s two defining prizes, reflecting the two battles taking place every time teams take the field.

Each nation is fighting to become the outright Nations Championship winner, while every Finals Weekend result at Allianz Stadium, London, simultaneously contributes to the larger contest determining whether North or South reign supreme.

Hemispheres really will collide on Finals weekend, when for the first time, the traditional rivalry between North and South has been given a structure, a scoreline and a worthy prize.

The Hemisphere Shield will be decided by six blockbuster north versus south matches. Seven points will be available across the weekend, with one point awarded for the winners of matches 2 v 2 through to 6 v 6 and two points on offer for the 1 v 1 showdown. The first hemisphere to reach four points will secure the Hemisphere Shield.

Tickets on sale for Scotland’s Nations Championship fixtures

Tickets are on sale now for Scotland’s Nations Championship fixtures against New Zealand, Australia and Japan at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.

Fans can secure their seats now and be part of three major encounters as Scotland welcomes three of the Southern Hemisphere’s leading nations to Scottish Gas Murrayfield. The only way to see the All Blacks in Edinburgh is through our hospitality options. Check them out here. 

Support Your Team tickets

After six rounds of competition, teams are ranked 1–6 in their hemisphere. At Finals Weekend, each team plays the side ranked the same in the opposite hemisphere, 6th vs 6th, 5th vs 5th and so on.

Support Your Team tickets guarantee you see your team, whichever day they compete on Finals Weekend.