Nations Championship: England open tournament with July 4 South Africa clash before facing Argentina and Fiji

England will open their Nations Championship campaign with a 2019 World Cup final rematch against South Africa on July 4 in Johannesburg.

Steve Borthwick's side face a stern test against the reigning world champions, before taking on Fiji and Argentina in their two remaining summer fixtures in the southern hemisphere.

The tournament also sees the Springboks face Wales and Scotland, while Ireland play Australia and Japan before a trip to Auckland to tackle New Zealand in a mouth-watering contest. Scotland and Wales meet Argentina and Fiji in their other southern hemisphere matches.

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Elsewhere, a vaunted France side also face New Zealand in their first game since their victorious Six Nations campaign for what will be a heavyweight clash at the One New Zealand stadium in Christchurch.

The three summer game weeks are the first part of the tournament, which resumes in November with the northern hemisphere edition in which England are set to host New Zealand, Australia and Japan at Twickenham.

After the six gameweeks conclude, a finals weekend at Twickenham will see each team play their equivalent in the other hemisphere, concluding with the first-placed northern hemisphere side playing the first-placed southern hemisphere side on November 29. A Ryder Cup-style points system will decide the winner of the first hemisphere trophy.

Nations Championship fixtures:

Saturday 4 July

New Zealand v France; 08:10 BST

Japan v Italy; 09:40 BST

Australia v Ireland; 11:10 BST

Fiji v Wales; 14:10 BST

South Africa v England; 16:40 BST

Argentina v Scotland; 20:10 BST

Saturday 11 July

New Zealand v Italy; 06:10 BST

Australia v France; 08:40 BST

Japan v Ireland; 11:10 BST

Fiji v England; 14:10 BST

South Africa v Scotland; 16:40 BST

Argentina v Wales; 20:10 BST

Saturday 18 July

New Zealand v Ireland; 08:10 BST

Japan v France; 09:40 BST

Australia v Italy; 11:10 BST

Fiji v Scotland; 14:10 BST

South Africa v Wales; 16:40 BST

Argentina v England; 20:10 BST

Friday 6 November

Ireland v Argentina; 20:10 GMT

Saturday 7 November

Italy v South Africa 11:40 GMT

Scotland v New Zealand; 14:10 GMT

Wales v Japan; 16:40 GMT

France v Fiji; 20:10 GMT

Sunday 8 November

England v Australia; 15:10 GMT

Friday 13 November

France v South Africa; 20:10 GMT

Saturday 14 November

Italy v Argentina; 11:40 GMT

Wales v New Zealand; 14:10 GMT

England v Japan; 16:40 GMT

Ireland v Fiji; 20:10 GMT

Sunday 15 November

Scotland v Australia; 15:10 GMT

Saturday 21 November

England v New Zealand; 14:10 GMT

Scotland v Japan; 14:10 GMT

Ireland v South Africa; 16:40 GMT

Italy v Fiji; 16:40 GMT

France v Argentina; 20:10 GMT

Wales v Australia; 20:10 GMT

Finals

Friday 27 November

Sixth-placed northern hemisphere side v Sixth-placed southern hemisphere side; 16:40 GMT

Third-placed northern hemisphere side v Third-placed southern hemisphere side; 20:10 GMT

Saturday 28 November

Fifth-placed northern hemisphere side v Fifth-placed southern hemisphere side; 13:10 GMT

Second-placed northern hemisphere side v Second-placed southern hemisphere side 16:40 GMT

Sunday 29 November

Fourth-placed northern hemisphere side v Fourth-placed southern hemisphere side; 13:10 GMT

First-placed northern hemisphere side v First-placed southern hemisphere side; 16:40 GMT

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