Why All Blacks v Italy in Wellington really counts on 11 July
International rugby has never looked quite like this.
The Nations Championship turns every Test into something bigger. Across the July and November windows, the world's top 12 teams will battle for points, rankings and a place in the finals series in London.
No dead rubbers. No disconnected tours. Just one competition stretching across two hemispheres and five months.
The All Blacks' v Italy at Hnry Stadium on 11 July is a critical part of their inaugural Nations Championship campaign.
What is the Nations Championship?
World Rugby announced the new Nations Championship competition in October 2023. Twelve teams, two conferences, and six rounds of cross-hemisphere rugby spread across the July and November international rugby windows.
The Southern Hemisphere Conference includes Rugby Championship nations Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, plus Fiji and Japan.
Each team plays all six teams from the opposite conference once. Three at home and three away, with the All Blacks home Tests this July coming against France, Italy, and Ireland.
The All Blacks will then play their remaining three Tests in the Northern Hemisphere in November before the results are tallied, and the standings decide who goes wherewho each team will play over one epic weekend Finals Weekend at Twickenham.
The first-placed team in each conference qualifies for the Nations Championship Final at Twickenham on 29 November 2026 . Every other nation gets its own final too: second plays second, third plays third, all the way down the table. Twelve teams and twelve places decided across one glorious Finals Weekend in London from 27 to 29 November.
This is the first time international rugby has been structured this way and is something not to be missed.
Want to learn more about the Nations Championship? Read our handy guide here.
How Nations Championship rankings are decided
The Nations Championship competition uses the standard World Rugby points system.
Four points for a win. Two for a draw. Zero for a loss. One bonus point if you score four or more tries. One bonus point if you lose by fewer than eight points.
That means a tight loss can still move you up the table while a bonus-point win can put five on the board in a single outing.
Every Test counts in the same way. There is no "dead rubber". A Saturday in Wellington now carries the same weight as a night in Paris or a November Test in Dublin.
Watch Now: All Blacks v Italy | 2009
June 27, 2009, it was only the third time that the Azzurri had visited New Zealand, as they sought a first win over the All Blacks in their tenth Test match against them.
Why the Nations Championship makes this July extra special
This new competition means every Test is connected.
A win over Italy with a try bonus will secure New Zealand five points on the Southern Hemisphere Conference table. Italy, sitting in the European Conference, are chasing their own points from the same round of fixtures.
Every Southern Hemisphere nation will be gunning for maxinmum points from their respective fixtures to earn the best place on the standings board.
Where each team finishes after six rounds determines placings for Finals Weekend in London, and ultimate North v South bragging rights.
Italy in the Nations Championship
Italy are not just a guest at this tournament. They are one of the twelve founding teams and part of the Northern Hemisphere Conference.
GLi Azzurri arrive in Wellington direct from Japan, and off a Six Nations in which they finished fourth, beating England in Rome. They now sit 10th in the world and should not be taken lightly.
Italy Coach Gonzalo Quesada's side will treat every Nations Championship Test as a chance to climb the European Conference ladder, and Wellington beckons vs the All Blacks.
For New Zealand supporters, that is worth noting, and another great reason to be at Hnry Stadium on July 11.
Tickets start at just $53 for an adult and $30 for kids 15 and under. Don't miss out!
All Blacks v Italy: What to watch for
If you are new to the Nations Championship, here is the short version to chat to your mates about as you make the iconic walk into the Cake Tin.
Every Test earns table points. Bonus points matter. The July window is where it all kicks off, with the Southern Hemishere conference playing host.
Italy are on the rise and will not be the walkover they have been on previous visits. The competition does not finish in Wellington, but it’s now a critical moment in the international rugby calendar. The Nations Championship wraps in London on 29 November, with a grand final between the two conference leaders closing out Finals Weekend. Both the All Blacks and Italy will be playing that weekend too, and there’s everything to play for in Wellington.
Do not miss out on the All Blacks v Italy in Wellington. Get your tickets now!
Where to watch the All Blacks v Italy live
In New Zealand you can catch every All Blacks Test live on Sky Sport. If you're elsewhere in the world, check out where to watch here.
Watch Now: FULL MATCH | All Blacks v Italy | Turin, 2024
The All Blacks finish their 2024 Test season with a clash against Italy at the iconic home ground of Juventus FC in Turin.
Play Nations Championship Fantasy Rugby
1. Build Your Team
- Build a squad of 15 players and 1 super sub with a budget of 100m and unlimited transfers each gameweek
- You can only have 3 players from a nation and 10 per hemisphere.
2. Strategy & Scoring
- Your players will score points based on their real life performances throughout the tournament.
- Use your Triple Captain and Co-Captain chips to boost your total points for 1 gameweek.
3. Leagues & Leaderboards
- Compete with other managers from all over the globe in the global leaderboard.
- Compete against your friends and peers in personalised private leagues
Register and build your Nations Championship Fantasy Team now!
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