Last updated 13 August 2026. Fixture and broadcast details checked against the Nations Championship and ITV announcements.
Wales fans have asked us the same 3 questions before every international for years: what time is kick-off, what channel is it on, and what are the odds? This page answers all 3 and stays updated through the season.
Wales fixtures: autumn 2026
This autumn is Wales’ first Nations Championship campaign, and all 3 home games are at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
| Date | Fixture | Kick-off | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 7 November 2026 | Wales v Japan | 4:40pm | ITV / ITVX, S4C |
| Sat 14 November 2026 | Wales v New Zealand | 2:10pm | ITV / ITVX, S4C |
| Sat 21 November 2026 | Wales v Australia | 8:10pm | ITV / ITVX, S4C |
| 27–29 November 2026 | Finals weekend, opponent TBC | TBC | ITV / ITVX, S4C |
The finals weekend takes place at Twickenham (now the Allianz Stadium). Wales’ opponent depends on where they finish after the 6 rounds of pool matches.
How to watch Wales rugby on TV
Good news if you resented paying for the autumn games in recent years: the Nations Championship is free to air. ITV holds exclusive UK rights, so every Wales match is live on ITV and the ITVX streaming service at no cost.
Prefer Welsh commentary? S4C carries every Wales game live, and you can stream it on S4C Clic or BBC iPlayer.
The Six Nations stays split between BBC and ITV under the current rights deal, so Wales’ championship games each spring remain free to watch too.
What is the Nations Championship?
It’s the new biennial tournament that replaces the old standalone autumn internationals. 12 teams play 6 rounds across the July and November windows, and the table decides who you meet on finals weekend. For Wales in 2026 that means Japan, New Zealand and Australia in Cardiff, then a final placing match at Twickenham.
Wales rugby odds
DragonBet prices up every Wales international, from the match result and handicap lines to player markets like most tackles and most metres. As Wales’ own bookmaker, the Welsh games get our fullest market coverage.
You’ll find all current prices on our rugby union odds page. Markets for each autumn fixture go live in the weeks before kick-off.
18+. Please gamble responsibly. For guidance and support visit GambleAware.
How Wales have been doing
Wales opened their Nations Championship campaign in July with a 39-24 bonus-point win over Fiji, then lost 35-21 to Argentina in San Juan and 43-0 to South Africa in Durban. So the autumn arrives with work to do, and 3 winnable-to-brutal games in which to do it.
Wales v Japan: the record
Japan have beaten Wales just twice, and both wins still sting. The first came in Tokyo in 2013 against an understrength touring side. The second was in Kitakyushu in July 2025, a 24-19 result that was Japan’s first victory over a tier one nation since the 2019 World Cup. Wales levelled that series a week later in Kobe, winning 31-22.
The most recent meeting could not have been tighter: Wales 24-23 in Cardiff in November 2025, settled by a Jarrod Evans penalty with the final kick of the game.
Wales v New Zealand: the record
This is the fixture with the ghost attached. Wales beat the All Blacks 13-8 at Cardiff Arms Park on 19 December 1953, Ken Jones scoring the decisive try. They have not beaten them since. New Zealand have won every meeting in the 72 years since, a streak now past 30 Tests, most recently 55-23 in Cardiff in November 2025.
Wales have come within a single point twice in that run: the infamous 13-12 defeat in 1978, and 1 point again in 2014. Every Welsh side since 1953 has walked out knowing they could be the ones to end it. That’s the story of this game.
Wales v Australia: the record
Played 49, Australia 34 wins, Wales 14, with 1 draw. The recent pattern is lopsided: Australia have won the last 3 meetings, including a 52-20 hammering in Cardiff in November 2024 in which both Matt Faessler and Tom Wright scored hat-tricks.
Wales’ last win, though, was a big one: 40-6 at the 2023 World Cup in Lyon, their record score against the Wallabies. This fixture swings harder than the head-to-head suggests.
Kick-off times and channels: quick answers
What channel is Wales rugby on in 2026?
Every Wales Nations Championship match is live and free on ITV and ITVX, with Welsh-language coverage on S4C.
Is Wales v New Zealand on free TV?
Yes. It kicks off at 2:10pm on Saturday 14 November 2026 on ITV and ITVX.
What time do the autumn games kick off?
Japan at 4:40pm on 7 November, New Zealand at 2:10pm on 14 November, Australia at 8:10pm on 21 November. All in Cardiff.
More Welsh rugby from the blog
For the community game, see our coverage of the WRU cup finals at the Principality, or browse everything in our rugby section.
Sources: Nations Championship official fixture list; ITV press centre rights announcement (January 2026); S4C schedule; historical results from official match records and the Australia–Wales head-to-head archive. Records correct as of 11 August 2026.
