Five Chiefs in action on opening weekend of the Nations Championship

Exeter Chiefs has provided five players to three teams for opening weekend of the inaugural Nations Championship.

England will start Immanuel Feyi-Waboso on the wing against South Africa on Saturday.

The two sides face off at Ellis Park in Johannesburg (KO 16.40 BST) with Jamie George serving as England’s captains and Ollie Chessum and Ellis Genge serving as vice-captains.

England men’s head coach Steve Borthwick said: “Playing South Africa at Ellis Park is one of the great tests in world rugby and an opportunity we’re excited to embrace.

“We’ve prepared well since we arrived here last week and I sense a real excitement within the squad to get our Nations Championship campaign underway.”

Meanwhile, Chiefs’ Italians Stephen Verney and Andrea Zambonin have been selected to play against Japan at the Chichibunomiya Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday morning (KO 09:40).

Ross Vintcent will start the Azzurri’s debut game in the Nations Championship on the bench.

In Sydney, Exeter Chiefs flanker Tom Hooperhas been named on the bench for the Wallabies as they take on Ireland at the Allianz Stadium a 11:10.

Len Ikitau, who lined up for Chiefs just two weeks ago in the Gallagher PREM Final, will start at centre for Australia.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said: “The group has reconnected quickly, and we’ve worked hard over the past week to prepare as best we can for what is an exciting challenge against the number three team in World Rugby."

“Kicking off 2026 at a sold-out Allianz Stadium gives the group a huge lift and we are fully focused on earning every bit of that home crowd support on Saturday.”

Fina out more about the Nations Championship here.

AUSTRALIA

15 Jock Campbell (4 caps) - #959; Inverell Highlanders
14 Max Jorgensen (20 caps) - #984; Balmain Wolves
13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (18 caps) - #988; The Kings School
12 Len Ikitau (50 caps) - #944; Tuggeranong Vikings
11 Dylan Pietsch (9 caps) - #978; Leeton Phantoms
10 Carter Gordon (9 caps) - #967; Sunshine Coast Grammar School
9 Ryan Lonergan (5 caps) - #993; Tuggeranong Vikings
1 Angus Bell (50 caps) - #940; Hunters Hill Rugby Club
2 Josh Nasser (11 caps) - #979; Easts Rugby (Brisbane)
3 Allan Alaalatoa (88 caps) - #896; West Harbour Juniors
4 Jeremy Williams (25 caps) – #973; Wahroonga Tigers
5 Josh Canham (2 caps) - #987; Harlequin Rugby Club
6 Rob Valetini (62 caps) - #929; Harlequin Rugby Club
7 Fraser McReight (39 caps) - #937; Albany Creek Brumbies
8 Harry Wilson (c) (36 caps) - #933; Gunnedah Red Devils

Replacements:
16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa (25 caps) - #918; Southern Districts
17 James Slipper (151 caps) - #843; Bond Pirates
18 Taniela Tupou (68 caps) - #917; Brothers Rugby
19 Lachlan Shaw (uncapped) - ; Ipswich Rangers
20 Tom Hooper (22 caps) - #964; Bathurst Bulldogs
21 Tate McDermott (50 caps) - #936; Flinders Rugby Club
22 Ben Donaldson (19 caps) - #962; Clovelly Eagles
23 Tom Wright (43 caps) - #939; Clovelly Eagles

ENGLAND

15 George Furbank (Harlequins, 14 caps)
14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs, 13 caps)
13 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 27 caps)
12 Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby, 4 caps)
11 Cadan Murley (Harlequins, 6 caps)
10 Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, 16 caps)
9 Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 24 caps)
1 Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 80 caps) – vice-captain
2 Jamie George (Saracens, 110 caps) – captain
3 Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 22 caps)
4 Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 19 caps)
5 George Martin (Saracens, 21 caps)
6 Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 35 caps) – vice-captain
7 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 68 caps)
8 Ben Earl (Saracens, 51 caps)

Replacements:
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 58 caps)
17 Beno Obano (Bath Rugby, 4 caps)
18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks, 6 caps)
19 Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 34 caps)
20 Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby, 12 caps)
21 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints, 10 caps)
22 Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 30 caps)
23 Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 50 caps)

ITALY

15 Lorenzo Pani (Zebre Parma, 12 caps)
14 Malik Faissal (Northampton Saints, uncapped)
13 Juan Ignacio Berx (Toulon, 52 caps)
12 Tommaso Menoncello (Stade Toulousain, 39 caps)
11 Monty Ioane (Lione, 47 caps)
10 Paolo Garbisi (Toulon, 54 caps)
9 Stephen Varney (Exeter Chiefs, 37 caps)
1 Danilo Fischetti (Northampton Saints, 63 caps)
2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo (Zebre Parma, 10 caps)
3 Marco Riccioni (Perpignan, 36 caps)
4 Niccolò Cannone (Benetton Rugby, 63 caps)
5 Andrea Zambonin (Exeter Chiefs, 18 caps)
6 Alessandro ORTOMBINA (Zebre Parma, uncapped)
7 Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 54 caps) – captain
8 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 38 caps)

Replacements:
16 Gianmarco Lucchesi (Toulon, 33 caps)
17 Mirco Spagnolo (Benetton Rugby, 24 caps)
18 Muhamed Hasa (Zebre Parma, 8 caps)
19 Riccardo Favretto (Benetton Rugby, 13 caps)
20 Ross Vintcent (Exeter Chiefs, 19 caps)
21 Alessandro Fusco (Zebre Parma, 25 caps)
22 Leonardo Marin (Benetton Rugby, 22 caps)
23 Tommaso Allan (Zebre Parma, 89 caps)