January always starts on a high, but it also finishes with a bang this year as a brand spanking new Six Nations Championship gets underway on Friday Reigniting old rivalries annually, the year-old championship remains one of the most popular tournaments in the rugby calendar. The Six Nations is the successor to the Home Nations Championship, which held its inaugural edition back in between teams from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It was the first-ever international rugby union competition.
The tournament then became the Five Nations Championship in with the addition of France. It was expanded further in , with Italy joining the party, and it became the Six Nations Championship that we know and love today.
Having worn the Six Nations crown in both and , the Green Machine are aiming to create history and become the first nation to three-peat as solo winners ever. Both England and Scotland produced promising displays during the Autumn Nations Series and will be looking to build on those performances. Wales suffered the ignominy of being handed the wooden spoon twelve months ago after finishing bottom of the Six Nations standings for the first time since They would have hoped for an easier first Six Nations assignment though, as they travel to the Stade de France to take on Les Bleus in the tournament curtain-raiser.
Let GOAL take you through all the essential information you need before the Six Nations kicks off, including the full schedule and how to watch and stream every game live.
There are three games per round, with all teams playing during each and every round. The tournament is played in a league format, with every side playing each other. The team placed at the top of the table at the end of the competition wins the Six Nations. The Grand Slam is achieved if one side wins all five matches during the tournament, as Ireland did in In many parts of the world, you can watch the Six Nations free of charge.
