As with many sports, many fans of rugby union are only drawn in and really engage with the action for the biggest events. Whilst a few hardy souls may travel from Bath to watch their team play Newcastle Falcons, for many, rugby union is all about the international fixture list.
In football, the international break is often viewed as an inconvenience, by supporters and club managers at any rate. The club game is where the big money and all the exposure is but in rugby it is very different. And fortunately for fans who love to watch their nation do battle, be that England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland or one of the other big teams, there are regular international fixtures to savour every year.
The World Cup is all the more special for only being played every four years. South Africa beat New Zealand in the final in Paris in 2023 and Australia will host the 2027 edition of the tournament. But each and every year, fans can look forward to the Six Nations in late winter and spring, and then when the leaves have started falling from the trees, the autumn internationals roll around.
In this article, we take a look at the calendar for 2024, with a particular focus on the biggest games and the England matches. Teams always have an immediate focus and take all clashes very seriously, but with the next World Cup some way off, there is also scope for experimentation. Anyway, the autumn internationals – or spring internationals to our cousins in the southern hemisphere – are almost upon us, so let’s see what we can look forward to.
Fixtures Start with a Bang
World Rugby, who organise the November (in 2024 the fixtures take place entirely in this month, although that can vary) jamboree, have scheduled things to start with a real bang in 2024. England will host the first game of the lot, welcoming New Zealand to the newly named Allianz Stadium – though be surprised to hear many not using the new sponsorship name initially.
Twickenham by any other name will still smell as sweet, and on the 2nd of November the home side will face one of the most iconic teams in sport – and certainly in rugby. The game with the All Blacks kicks off at 3.10 pm, so be sure to get that in your diary. The two teams have almost 120 years of history playing each other but being in different hemispheres they have “only” met 45 times.
The Kiwis have the upper hand in terms of results, having won 35 of those, compared to just eight victories for England (and two draws). In recent years, however, results have been incredibly close. The last six matches have seen a win for England, a draw, and four victories for the All Blacks, with two of those by a single point and another by just three points.
With the visitors down in third in the World Rugby Rankings, they are not as formidable as some teams of the past. This is not a vintage NZ and with home advantage, England should certainly have a chance, with another close, tense game more than likely.
Also taking place on the 2nd of November is Scotland versus Fiji, with that one set to kick off at 5.40 pm. The game at Murrayfield is undoubtedly a lower-key affair but even so, forms a nice double-header along with the England game.
Week 2 Sees Fuller Fixture List
The second round of games gets underway on Friday night (8th of November) and again there is a big clash to look forward to. Ireland welcome the All Blacks to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin in a clash between the teams ranked second and third in the world. Ireland failed to win any of their first 28 meetings with the Kiwis.
However, since then they have done really well, claiming wins in five of the next nine, although NZ claimed a big win in the most recent clash between the teams. That came in the quarter finals of the 2023 World Cup, the Irish going down 24-28 in a game many thought they would win.
On Saturday the 9th of November there are three more games, as below (note all times are UK):
- England v Australia, Allianz Stadium, 3.10 pm
- Italy v Argentina, Stadio Friuli, 5.40 pm
- France v Japan, Stade de France, 8.10 pm
The action does not stop there, with a further brace of clashes on the Sunday, making this a perfect weekend for fans of rugby union:
- Wales v Fiji, Principality Stadium, 1.40 pm
- Scotland v South Africa, Murrayfield, 4.10 pm
Week 3 Sees Smaller Nations Enter the Fray
The autumn internationals are now wider-reaching than ever, with a number of less traditional rugby nations involved. Week 3, with games from Friday the 15th of November to Sunday the 17th sees both Portugal and Georgia in action.
Georgia’s game is of particular interest and sees them play Italy in Genoa. Many have suggested that Georgia should be given a shot at the Six Nations, replacing Italy, who have not improved in the way it was hoped when they were added to the tournament. Italy remain uncompetitive, whilst Georgia are well established as the best of the rest, and yet rarely get to play against better sides.
The full Week 3 fixtures are as follows:
- Ireland v Argentina, 15th November, 8.10 pm
- Scotland v Portugal, 16th November, 3.10 pm
- England v South Africa, 16th November, 5.40 pm
- France v New Zealand, 16th November, 8.10 pm
- Italy v Georgia, 17th November, 1.40 pm
- Wales v Australia, 17th November, 4.10 pm
Final Two Rounds
The fifth week of action sees just one game, with Ireland hosting Australia in Dublin on the 30th of November at 3.10 pm. Before that we have the Week 4 fixtures, with the home nations all in action and the strongest teams from the southern hemisphere also all featuring.
- France v Argentina, 22nd November, 8.10 pm
- Ireland v Fiji, 23rd November, 3.10 pm
- Wales v South Africa, 23rd November, 5.40 pm
- Italy v New Zealand, 23rd November, 8.10 pm
- Scotland v Australia, 24th November, 1.40 pm
- England v Japan, 24th November, 4.10 pm