Nations Championship Hemisphere Shield unveiled

The Nations Championship Hemisphere Shield has been unveiled above the London skyline on  the London Eye, overlooking one of the world’s greatest sporting capital cities, 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.

Hemisphere’s 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.

The Hemisphere Shield was officially unveiled at the London Eye alongside television personality and rugby fan, Fred Sirieix. The Frenchman will be rooting for his native France but excited to see which Hemisphere will come out on top. 

Fred Sirieix, said: “As a huge rugby fan, I love the rivalries and sense of occasion that come with the sport. The Nations Championship Finals Weekend is going to be an incredible event and I can’t wait to see fans from all corners of the globe descending on London.  

“The battle for the Hemisphere Shield is going to be really close, it’s going to be exciting to see the best of the best in international rugby going head-to-head.”