Ireland and Japan to meet on neutral ground in NSW

Rugby Australia has confirmed it will host a Nations Championship fixture between Ireland and Japan in Newcastle, north of Sydney, on 11 July.

The match is part of the inaugural Nations Championship men's competition, which brings together the Six Nations unions and the southern hemisphere's top teams — including the Springboks, All Blacks and Wallabies — in a 12-team competition to be held once every two years. The winner will be determined at a finals weekend at Twickenham in November.

Irish Rugby Football Union president John O'Driscoll said he anticipated a "huge" expat turnout for the Newcastle fixture, while Japan Rugby president Masato Tsuchida described his side as "delighted to face the formidable Irish team" on Australian soil.