Updated: November 7, 2026, 4:15 pm Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+00:00). Information checked against the Nations Championship, World Rugby, club and team-reporting sources before kickoff.
France vs. Fiji is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 9:10 p.m. in Lyon, France, on Central European Time (CET, UTC+01:00), equivalent to 8:10 p.m. UTC. The Round 4 Nations Championship match will be played at Groupama Stadium (also known as Parc Olympique Lyonnais or OL Stadium). France captain Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack have been selected together at scrumhalf and fly-half, while Fiji captain Tevita Ikanivere leads a side with extensive French Top 14 experience.
France enters the November leg with two wins from its opening three championship games, while Fiji is still seeking its first tournament victory. Both starting teams and replacements have been announced. As of this pre-kickoff check, the official fixture remains upcoming; there is no verified final score to report.
Destaques
The match is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, 2026, with kickoff at 9:10 p.m. CET (UTC+01:00) in Lyon, which corresponds to 8:10 p.m. UTC on the same calendar date. France is on standard time by November 7, after the end of daylight saving time in October. International viewers should convert from the confirmed UTC time rather than using the summer-time offset.
The event is listed at Groupama Stadium, the venue also referred to as Parc Olympique Lyonnais or OL Stadium. The official Nations Championship fixture list and World Rugby match center identify the Lyon venue. Alternative listings may use a different stadium brand name; they refer to the same venue for this fixture.
Coach Fabien Galthié has selected Antoine Dupont (captain) at No. 9 and Romain Ntamack at No. 10. Their reunion in the starting halves is a central development in the buildup, with Galthié counting on an established Toulouse partnership. Théo Attissogbe starts at fullback, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang fill the wing positions, and Yoram Moefana partners Kalvin Gourgues in midfield. Gourgues is set for his first France start.
In the forwards, François Cros starts at No. 8, with Paul Boudehent and Cameron Woki on the flanks. Mickaël Guillard and Florian Verhaeghe are the locks, while the front row is Jean-Baptiste Gros, Maxime Lamothe and Sipili Falatea. Several established French internationals, including Thomas Ramos, Julien Marchand, Emmanuel Meafou, Thibaud Flament and Anthony Jelonch, are absent from the announced lineup amid injury-related selection issues. Oscar Jegou was also reported injured in training, with Esteban Capilla named among the replacements and potentially in line for a debut. These reports do not establish any unannounced medical prognosis or a confirmed last-minute withdrawal.
Union Bordeaux Bègles confirms that seven players from its club are in the France match 23: Lamothe, Falatea, Woki, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey, Jefferson Poirot and Maxime Lucu. The club’s November 5 team selection update and reported full team announcement support the announced personnel. The team sheet remains subject to any official matchday changes.
France starting XV (jersey numbers 1–15):
1. Jean-Baptiste Gros; 2. Maxime Lamothe; 3. Sipili Falatea; 4. Florian Verhaeghe; 5. Mickaël Guillard; 6. Cameron Woki; 7. Paul Boudehent; 8. François Cros; 9. Antoine Dupont (captain); 10. Romain Ntamack; 11. Louis Bielle-Biarrey; 12. Yoram Moefana; 13. Kalvin Gourgues; 14. Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang; 15. Théo Attissogbe.
France replacements (16–23): 16. Peato Mauvaka; 17. Jefferson Poirot; 18. Régis Montagne; 19. Charles Ollivon; 20. Tom Staniforth; 21. Esteban Capilla; 22. Maxime Lucu; 23. Émilien Gailleton.
Fiji coach Jake White has named Tevita Ikanivere as captain and starting hooker. The back three consists of Salesi Rayasi at fullback, Selestino Ravutaumada on the right wing and Jiuta Wainiqolo on the left. Iosefo Masi and Vinaya Habosi are in midfield, with Isikeli Rabitu and Simione Kuruvoli forming the halves. Nathan Hughes starts at No. 8, with Kitione Salawa and Pita-Gus Sowakula alongside him in the back row.
Players based in France are prominent throughout the Fiji squad, making their familiarity with Top 14 opponents an intriguing factor rather than proof of an outcome. Bordeaux Bègles specifically highlights Rayasi as the Fiji fullback against several of his club teammates. The official tournament also published Fiji’s November squad for the Northern Hemisphere Series.
Fiji starting XV (jersey numbers 1–15):
1. Eroni Mawi; 2. Tevita Ikanivere (captain); 3. Luke Tagi; 4. Mesake Vocevoce; 5. Isoa Nasilasila; 6. Pita-Gus Sowakula; 7. Kitione Salawa; 8. Nathan Hughes; 9. Simione Kuruvoli; 10. Isikeli Rabitu; 11. Jiuta Wainiqolo; 12. Vinaya Habosi; 13. Iosefo Masi; 14. Selestino Ravutaumada; 15. Salesi Rayasi.
Fiji replacements (16–23): 16. Zuriel Togiatama; 17. Peni Ravai; 18. Inoke Ravuiwasa; 19. Peceli Yato; 20. Elia Canakaivata; 21. Frank Lomani; 22. Ben Volavola; 23. Sireli Maqala.
After the three July rounds, France was first in the Northern Hemisphere group with 12 competition points from two wins and one defeat, ahead of Scotland on 11. Fiji occupied sixth place in the Southern Hemisphere group with zero points from three defeats. Those are the tournament standings entering the November series, not a live table that incorporates every other Round 4 match already played on November 6–7.
France lost 34–32 to New Zealand in its opening match, then beat Australia 42–26 and Japan 42–15. Fiji lost to Wales 39–24, England 73–8 and Scotland 33–17 during the tournament’s July rounds. The official competition preview notes that Fiji subsequently beat Japan 34–28 in a separate match, demonstrating that the winless tournament record does not tell the whole story of its recent form. Those results provide context but cannot establish Saturday’s winner.
The tournament consists of six cross-hemisphere rounds, followed by ranking-based games in London during Finals Weekend, November 27–29. Each northern team is paired against the southern team in the corresponding final group position, with first-place teams meeting in the deciding match. A win for France would strengthen its position in its hemisphere race; Fiji needs points to move away from the bottom of its pool. The final seeding still depends on other results and subsequent rounds. See the official hemisphere standings and competition format.
Three matchups deserve attention. First, Dupont and Ntamack will try to establish rhythm and territory against Kuruvoli and Rabitu, particularly from set pieces and exits. Second, France’s forward platform must handle Fiji’s physical ball carriers without allowing quick offloads to create broken-field opportunities. Third, the outside backs on both sides are capable finishers, so defensive spacing and transitions after kicks could be decisive.
These are conditional match factors, not statements about events that have already happened. France’s strong July results and its home venue make it a plausible favorite, but Fiji’s attacking ability and familiarity with French club rugby create competitive uncertainty. The official Nations Championship preview also cautions against dismissing Fiji solely on its pool position.
World Rugby lists Karl Dickson (England) as referee, with Damián Schneider and Katsuki Furuse as assistant referees, and Ian Tempest as television match official. See World Rugby’s official match-official appointments.
For viewers in France, TF1’s published program identifies TF1 and TF1+ as live viewing options. In Australia, Rugby Australia’s report promotes Stan Sport coverage of the 2026 Nations Championship. Broadcasting access is territory-specific, and an English-language article does not imply that a particular broadcaster serves every reader. Check your local authorized rights holder before making plans.
The official Nations Championship website provides the competition fixture list and updates; the World Rugby France–Fiji match center is an additional source for match details, lineups and confirmed statistics. Before kickoff, do not treat a scheduled fixture display or provisional 0–0 placeholders as a final result. Following full time, verify the score and any disciplinary events against the official competition or World Rugby record rather than an unconfirmed live feed.
France is scheduled to host South Africa on Friday, November 13, and Argentina on Saturday, November 21, both at Stade de France. Fiji is due to face Ireland in Dublin on Saturday, November 14, then Italy in Udine on Saturday, November 21. Those remaining fixtures will complete the round-robin standings before Finals Weekend, so the Lyon result affects a longer path rather than closing either team’s campaign.
Kickoff is at 9:10 p.m. in Lyon, France, on CET (UTC+01:00), which is 8:10 p.m. UTC on Saturday, November 7, 2026.
The Round 4 match is at Groupama Stadium, also known as Parc Olympique Lyonnais or OL Stadium, in the Lyon area of France.
No. At the time stated in the update timestamp, the game had not reached its scheduled kickoff, and no verified final score was available. Check the official Nations Championship or World Rugby match center for the result after full time.
France hosts Fiji in Nations Championship Round 4 on Nov. 7, 2026. See the 9:10 p.m. CET kickoff, Groupama Stadium, starting XVs, team news and standings.
Wales vs. Japan on Nov. 7: confirmed starting XVs, 4:40 p.m. GMT kickoff in Cardiff, round-four standings implications, broadcast and score status.
Portugal hosts Chile at Estádio do Restelo on Nov. 7 at 15:00 UTC. See confirmed team news, kickoff time, where to watch, and round-four pool stakes.
New Zealand beat Scotland 43–21 at Murrayfield on Nov. 7, 2026. See the verified final score, Ashman hat trick, lineups and Nations Championship standings.
South Africa beat Italy 66–7 in Turin on Nov. 7, 2026. See the nine-try breakdown, halftime score, confirmed teams, kickoff time and standings impact.
England vs. Australia on Nov. 8, 2026: verified starting XVs and benches, 3:10 p.m. GMT kickoff, captaincy, referee and latest team news.
Spain vs Uruguay Nations Cup, Nov. 7, 2026: confirmed starting XVs and benches, 4 p.m. Madrid kickoff, team news, broadcast options and result status.
France vs Fiji kicks off Nov. 7 at 9:10 p.m. CET in Lyon. See confirmed lineups, match officials and Round 4 Nations Championship stakes.
Wales hosts Japan in Cardiff on Nov. 7 at 4:40 p.m. GMT (16:40 UTC). See confirmed starting XVs, replacements, viewing options and tournament stakes.
Zimbabwe vs Samoa Nov. 7 update: World Rugby confirms Alamanda Motuga replaces Akira Ioane on Samoa’s bench. See lineups, 3 p.m. GMT kickoff and result status.
