Six Nations History

As the oldest international rugby tournament in the world, the Six Nations Championship is steeped in history and tradition. The tournament can trace its origins back to the first international rugby matches every played, featuring national teams from England and Scotland.

The very first test was played between England and Scotland in 1871, with two teams of 20 players. A year later England participated in the first Calcutta Cup, where they faced a combined Celtic side.

These early attempts to organise international rugby fixtures were an unqualified success, and within the space of a decade teams from the Celtic countries were competing regularly with the English national team.

Birth of the Home Nations Championship

By 1883 the popularity of international rugby fixtures between teams from the United Kingdom had prompted the creation of a league tournament known as the Home Championship. England and Scotland dominated the tournament during its early years, before Wales and Ireland began winning Championships from 1893 onwards.

The Five Nations

From the turn of the century a French national side began participating in the tournament. However, it was only in 1910 that the French were included in the expanded championship, which was renamed the Five Nations in consequence.

France were the whipping boys of the Five Nations during its early years, struggling to come out on top in the tournament, and frequently ending up with the wooden spoon at the bottom of the tournament log. During the next four decades the tournament was held only intermittently, as the World Wars led to the suspension of the Five Nations.

The Five Nations in the Modern Era

The Five Nations was re-launched after the Second World War, and was greeted with massive enthusiasm by sports enthusiasts in the participating countries. Games were played to sold-out stadiums, and the growth of the mass media further added massive expansion to the profile of the event.

It was during this period that France first began achieving success in the tournament. The French achieved their first Five Nations Championship title in 1955, sharing the honour with Wales. Once this breakthrough had been achieved the French became virtually unstoppable, dominating the tournament from then on in, whilst occasionally permitting Wales and England to claim Championship wins.

The Six Nations

In 2000 the Six Nations expanded for the third time in its history to give Italy the opportunity to play international rugby at the highest level. The Italians were quick to acclimatise to the heady heights of the oldest rugby tournament in the world, achieving their first Six Nations win in their first ever match.

France has continued to dominate the tournament as it entered the new millenium. The French have picked up four titles since 2000, including two grand slams. England has also done well by capturing four Six Nations titles, while Wales has come to the fore in recent years by capturing two Grand Slams.

Plans to expand the Six Nations into a Seven Nations tournament have been tabled and scrapped several times during the past two years. Argentina has proposed participating in the tournament out of a base in Spain. Georgia and Portugal are also contenders for a place in an expanded competition, with rugby enjoying rapid growth in both countries over recent years.

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Six Nations - Six Nations Winner -
France	7/4	13/8	6/4	13/8	7/4	11/8	13/8	13/8	13/8
Wales	5/2	13/5	5/2	5/2	5/2	5/2	11/4	11/4	11/4
England	5/2	10/3	7/2	5/2	5/2	5/2	11/4	3	5/2
Ireland	11/2	6	11/2	11/2	11/2	6	11/2	11/2	11/2
Scotland	20	20	25	22	20	20	25	20	25
Italy	150	125	200	150	150	200	150	150	150