Wallabies kick off Nations Championship against Ireland in Sydney

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Outgoing coach will soon give way to Les Kiss but the Sydney match plus tests against France and Italy will establish World Cup credentials

With a football World Cup already at fever pitch and a State of Origin decider just days away, this weekend’s Test between Australia and Ireland in Sydney has Rugby Australia taking a knife to a gunfight in the battle for a sporting nation’s eyeballs.

That’s a shame because it’s the Wallabies’ first outing for 2026 and Allianz Stadium is a sellout. The Test also marks the first round of rugby’s bold new venture, the Nations Championship, a 12-team contest between the best sides of the north and south to be fought across both hemispheres in two windows: July and November.

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