For Wales rugby fans, this summer will feel a little different. Warren Gatland's squad won't run out at their beloved Principality Stadium once during the entire summer schedule—and it's not because of construction or renovation. The iconic Cardiff venue is hosting two major concerts this month, with Metallica taking the stage on Sunday, June 28. But here's the twist that makes this story worth telling: Wales is choosing to be the "away" side for their summer fixtures, a deliberate decision by the Welsh Rugby Union to embrace the Nations Championship format.
The Nations Championship is something genuinely new in rugby—a competition bringing structure and meaning to what were previously scattered summer Test matches. Running in non-World Cup years, it pits the northern hemisphere's Six Nations powers against the southern hemisphere's giants: Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and Japan. This July, Wales travels to face three of those sides. In November, the dynamic flips, and Wales hosts Japan, New Zealand, and Australia at the Principality Stadium.
"This is the only chance for the Welsh public to see Tandy's side play in Wales this summer," the WRU confirmed. That singular opportunity comes on July 4 when Fiji hosts Wales at the home of Cardiff City football club—a first for Wales rugby internationals. It's a chance for fans to witness a historic fixture at an unfamiliar ground while supporting their team in unfamiliar colors.
The squad Warren Gatland has assembled reflects both continuity and renewal. Six uncapped players earned call-ups: Exeter back rower Kane James, Harlequins centre Bryn Bradley, Dragons back-row duo Ryan Woodman and Harrison Keddie, Cardiff loose-head prop Rhys Barratt, and Ospreys tight-head Ben Warren. The 46-player group includes British and Irish Lions flanker Jac Morgan, who missed the Six Nations through injury and is now available to play.
Results throughout the competition will feed into two league tables—one for each hemisphere. At the end of six rounds, nations face the equivalent-ranked team from the other table, with points awarded to determine rugby union's ultimate ruler. The two best sides meet in a final at Allianz Stadium on the last weekend of November, when all 12 nations will be in action.
For Wales, this summer represents something unusual: a road journey with no home games, no Principality roar, and no familiar dressing room. But in its place comes a new format, new rivalries, and a rare opportunity to see emerging talent tested against the world's best.