Six Nations Championship
Current season, competition or edition: 2012 Six Nations Championship | |
| File:Rbs 6nations rugby.jpg The official RBS 6 Nations logo | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1883 |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country |  England France Ireland Italy Scotland Wales |
| Most recent champion(s) | Wales |
The Six Nations Championship[a] (referred to as RBS 6 Nations for sponsorship reasons) is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
The Six Nations is the successor to the Five Nations Championship (1910–1931 and 1947–1999) and the Home Nations Championship (1883–1909 and 1932–1939), which was the first international rugby union tournament.[1] The event is currently sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland. The winners of the Six Nations Championship are also known as the European Champions.
England are the current title holders, unseating France, who won a Grand Slam in 2010. England won the 2011 title on 19 March, when France defeated Wales at the Stade de France in a 28-9 win.
Format
Played annually, the format of the Championship is simple: each team plays every other team once, with home field advantage alternating from one year to the next. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss. Unlike many other rugby union competitions the bonus point system is not used.
If a team wins all its games, they are said to have won a 'Grand Slam'. Back to back Grand Slams have been achieved on five occasions, by Wales in 1908 and 1909, by England in 1913 and 1914, 1923 and 1924 and 1991 and 1992, and by France in 1997 and 1998. England holds the record for the number of Grand Slams won with 12, followed by Wales with 10, France with 9, Scotland with 3 and Ireland with 2.
Victory by any Home Nation over the other three Home Nations is a 'Triple Crown'. The Triple Crown has twice been won on four consecutive occasions, once by Wales in 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979 and once by England in 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998. England hold the record for the number of Triple Crowns won with 23, followed by Wales with 20 and Scotland and Ireland with 10. Although this achievement has long been a feature of the tournament, it was not until 2006 that a physical trophy, commissioned by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was awarded.
At the end of the tournament the team that finishes at the bottom of the table is said to have won the Wooden Spoon. A team which has lost all five matches is said to have been 'whitewashed'.
Several individual competitions take place under the umbrella of the tournament. The oldest such regular competition is for the Calcutta Cup, contested annually between England and Scotland since 1879. It is named the Calcutta Cup as it is made from melted-down Indian Rupees. Since 1988, the Millennium Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the game between England and Ireland. Since 2007, France and Italy have contested the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy; it was created for the 200th anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Italian hero who helped unify Italy. Garibaldi was born in Nizza (now Nice, France) in 1807.
Prior to 1994, teams equal on points shared the championship. Since then, ties have been broken by considering the points difference of the teams. The rules of the championship further provide that if teams tie on both match points and points difference, the team which scored the most tries wins the championship. If even this decider is tied, the tying teams share the championship.[2] To date, however, match points and points difference have been sufficient to decide the championship.
Trophies
Championship Trophy
The winners of the Six Nations are presented with the Championship Trophy.[3] This was originally conceived by the Earl of Westmorland, and was first presented to the winners of the 1993 championship, France. It is a sterling silver trophy, designed by James Brent-Ward and made by a team of eight silversmiths from the London firm William Comyns; it is valued at £55,000. Although originally silver on the inside, the trophy became so corroded through celebratory champagne fillings[citation needed] that it is now plated with 22 carat gold for protection.
It has 15 side panels representing the 15 members of the team and with three handles to represent the three officials (referee and two touch judges). The cup has a capacity of 3.75 litres – sufficient for five bottles of champagne. Within the mahogany base is a concealed drawer which contains six alternate finials, each a silver replica of one of the team emblems, which can be screwed on the detachable lid.
Triple Crown Trophy
The Triple Crown may only be awarded to either England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales, and only when one nation wins all three of their matches against the other three, during the Six Nations Championship. The Triple Crown honour has long been a feature of the tournament, dating back to the original Home Nations Championship, but the physical Triple Crown Trophy has been awarded only since 2006. The current holder of the Triple Crown is Wales, who have completed wins over Ireland, Scotland and England in the 2012 championship.
Other trophies
Several other trophies are contested within the main competition, mostly as long-standing fixtures between pairs of teams.
- Calcutta Cup – England versus Scotland; contested annually since 1879[4]
- Centenary Quaich – Scotland versus Ireland; contested annually since 1989; a quaich is a Gaelic drinking vessel[5][6][7]
- Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy – France versus Italy; contested since 2007; in memory of Giuseppe Garibaldi
- Millennium Trophy – England versus Ireland; contested since 1988; presented to celebrate Dublin's millennium in 1988[8]
Current venues
As of the upcoming 2012 competition, Six Nations matches will be held in the following stadia:
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| England | Twickenham | 82,000 |
| France | Stade de France | 81,338 |
| Wales | Millennium Stadium | 74,500 |
| Italy | Stadio Olimpico | 73,261 |
| Scotland | Murrayfield | 67,130 |
| Ireland | Aviva Stadium | 51,700 |
The opening of Aviva Stadium in May 2010 ended the arrangement with the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) that allowed the all-Ireland governing body for rugby union, the Irish Rugby Football Union, to use the GAA's flagship stadium, Croke Park, for its international matches. This arrangement was made necessary by the 2007 closure and subsequent demolition of Ireland's traditional home of Lansdowne Road, with the Aviva being built on the former Lansdowne Road site. During the construction of the Aviva, Croke Park was the largest of the Six Nations grounds, with a capacity of 82,300.
In the late 2000s, the increasing popularity of palla ovale in Italy meant that Stadio Flaminio was becoming less viable as a home ground for the country's team. As the 2010s approached, it had been speculated that Italy's Six Nations home matches would in the future be held at football stadiums such as the Stadio Olimpico in Rome or in the North where rugby is most popular. Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa (42,000 seats) or Stadio Ennio Tardini in Parma (almost 28,000 seats) were suggested as alternative grounds. Improvements for the Flaminio, intended to increase the capacity from 32,000 to 42,000, were announced, apparently increasing the likelihood that rugby would stay at Stadio Flamino, although still making it the smallest of the Six Nations grounds.[9] However, the city of Rome, owner of the Flaminio, delayed the promised renovations, causing the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) to lose patience with the city. In April 2011, it was reported that the FIR would move its home matches to Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence.[10] However, after the city of Rome began renovations of the Flaminio, the FIR announced in July of that year that it would instead keep its home matches in the city at Stadio Olimpico,[11] and that it planned to return to the Flaminio once the project was complete.[12]
Anthems
Before the start of each game the national anthem of both teams is sung by their players and supporters. God Save the Queen, the national anthem of the United Kingdom,[13] is used only by England. Wales and Scotland each sing their own national anthem. Ireland, whose rugby team represents two jurisdictions (the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland), have a specially commissioned anthem for rugby internationals.
- England: God Save the Queen
- France: La Marseillaise
- Ireland: Ireland's Call (Amhrán na bhFiann is also sung at matches played in the Republic of Ireland)
- Italy: Il Canto degli Italiani usually called L' Inno di Mameli
- Scotland: Flower of Scotland
- Wales: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Results
- For 2011 results, see 2011 Six Nations Championship
Overall
Overall England have the most Home Nations, Five Nations, and Six Nations tournament victories with 26 (excluding 10 shared victories).
 England |
 France |
 Ireland |
 Italy |
 Scotland |
 Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tournaments | 128 | 95 | 130 | 25 | 130 | 130 |
| Outright wins (shared wins) | ||||||
| Home Nations | 5 (4) | — | 4 (3) | — | 9 (2) | 7 (3) |
| Five Nations | 17 (6) | 12 (8) | 6 (5) | — | 5 (6) | 15 (8) |
| Six Nations | 7 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Overall | 29 (10) | 18 (8) | 16 (8) | 0 (0) | 14 (8) | 28 (11) |
| Grand Slams | ||||||
| Home Nations | — | — | — | — | — | 2[14] |
| Five Nations | 11 | 6 | 1 | — | 3 | 6 |
| Six Nations | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Overall | 13 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 12 |
| Triple Crowns | ||||||
| Home Nations | 5 | — | 2 | — | 7 | 6 |
| Five Nations | 16 | — | 4 | — | 3 | 11 |
| Six Nations | 5 | — | 7 | — | 0 | 5 |
| Overall | 26 | — | 13 | — | 10 | 22 |
| Wooden Spoons | ||||||
| Home Nations | 7 | — | 10 | — | 5 | 6 |
| Five Nations | 10 | 12 | 15 | — | 15 | 10 |
| Six Nations | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 2 |
| Overall | 17 | 13 | 25 | 18 | 24 | 18 |
Home Nations 1883–1909
| 1883 | England (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1884 | England (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1885 | Not Completed[15][16] | |
| 1886 | England and Scotland
| |
| 1887 | Scotland
| |
| 1888-1889 | Not Completed[17] | |
| 1890 | England and Scotland
| |
| 1891 | Scotland (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1892 | England (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1893 | Wales (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1894 | Ireland (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1895 | Scotland (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1896 | Ireland
| |
| 1897-1898 | Not Completed[18] | |
| 1899 | Ireland (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1900 | Wales (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1901 | Scotland (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1902 | Wales (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1903 | Scotland (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1904 | Scotland
| |
| 1905 | Wales (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1906 | Wales and Ireland
| |
| 1907 | Scotland (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1908 | Wales (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1909 | Wales (Triple Crown)
| |
| Source: Roll of Honour at BBC[19] | ||
Five Nations 1910–1931
| 1910 | England
| |
| 1911 | Wales (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1912 | England and Ireland
| |
| 1913 | England (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1914 | England (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1915–19 | Not held due to World War I | |
| 1920 | England, Scotland and Wales
| |
| 1921 | England (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1922 | Wales
| |
| 1923 | England (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1924 | England (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1925 | Scotland (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1926 | Ireland and Scotland
| |
| 1927 | Ireland and Scotland
| |
| 1928 | England (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1929 | Scotland
| |
| 1930 | England
| |
| 1931 | Wales
| |
| Source: Roll of Honour at BBC[19] | ||
Home Nations 1932–1939
| 1932 | England, Ireland and Wales
| |
| 1933 | Scotland (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1934 | England (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1935 | Ireland
| |
| 1936 | Wales
| |
| 1937 | England (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1938 | Scotland (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1939 | England, Ireland and Wales
| |
| Source: Roll of Honour at BBC[19] | ||
Five Nations 1940–1999
| 1940–46 | Not held due to World War II | |
| 1947 | England and Wales
| |
| 1948 | Ireland (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1949 | Ireland (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1950 | Wales (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1951 | Ireland
| |
| 1952 | Wales (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1953 | England
| |
| 1954 | England (Triple Crown), France and Wales
| |
| 1955 | France and Wales
| |
| 1956 | Wales
| |
| 1957 | England (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1958 | England
| |
| 1959 | France
| |
| 1960 | England (Triple Crown) and France
| |
| 1961 | France
| |
| 1962 | France
| |
| 1963 | England
| |
| 1964 | Scotland and Wales
| |
| 1965 | Wales (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1966 | Wales
| |
| 1967 | France
| |
| 1968 | France (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1969 | Wales (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1970 | France and Wales
| |
| 1971 | Wales (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1972 | Not completed | |
| 1973 | England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales
| |
| 1974 | Ireland
| |
| 1975 | Wales
| |
| 1976 | Wales (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1977 | France (Grand Slam) with the same fifteen players, the only time in a rugby championship
| |
| 1978 | Wales (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1979 | Wales (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1980 | England (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1981 | France (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1982 | Ireland (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1983 | France and Ireland
| |
| 1984 | Scotland (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1985 | Ireland (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1986 | Scotland and France
| |
| 1987 | France (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1988 | France and Wales (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1989 | France
| |
| 1990 | Scotland (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1991 | England (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1992 | England (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1993 | France
| |
| 1994 | Wales[20]
| |
| 1995 | England (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1996 | England[20] (Triple Crown)
| |
| 1997 | France (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1998 | France (Grand Slam)
| |
| 1999 | Scotland[20]
| |
| Source: Roll of Honour at BBC[19] | ||
Six Nations 2000–present
| 2000 | England
| |
| 2001 | England[20]
| |
| 2002 | France (Grand Slam)
| |
| 2003 | England (Grand Slam)
| |
| 2004 | France (Grand Slam)
| |
| 2005 | Wales (Grand Slam)
| |
| 2006 | France[20]
| |
| 2007 | France[20]
| |
| 2008 | Wales (Grand Slam)
| |
| 2009 | Ireland (Grand Slam)
| |
| 2010 | France (Grand Slam)
| |
| 2011 | England
| |
| 2012 | Wales (Grand Slam)
| |
| Source: Roll of Honour at BBC[19] | ||
Six Nations All-Time Table (2000–2012)
| Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | T | Pts | Champs | GS | TC | WS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France
|
62 | 45 | 1 | 16 | 1671 | 1076 | 595 | 161 | 91 | 5 | 3 | N/A | 0 |
| Ireland
|
62 | 43 | 1 | 18 | 1549 | 1204 | 345 | 156 | 87 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| England
|
62 | 41 | 1 | 20 | 1763 | 964 | 799 | 190 | 83 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Wales
|
63 | 30 | 2 | 31 | 1512 | 1593 | -81 | 142 | 62 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Scotland
|
63 | 16 | 2 | 45 | 1018 | 1582 | −564 | 73 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Italy
|
63 | 8 | 1 | 54 | 944 | 2069 | −1125 | 76 | 17 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 9 |
Longest wait without a championship win
| Team | Tournaments | Years | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| France |
24 | 43 | 1910–1953 |
| Ireland |
24 | 24 | 1985–2009 |
| Scotland |
19 | 26 | 1938–1964 |
| England |
16 | 18 | 1892–1910 |
| Italy |
12+ | 12+ | 2000–present |
| Wales |
11 | 11 | 1994–2005 |
Last Grand Slam Win
| Nation | Grand Slams Won | Last Grand Slam Season |
|---|---|---|
| Wales |
11 | 2012 |
| France |
9 | 2010 |
| Ireland |
2 | 2009 |
| England |
12 | 2003 |
| Scotland |
3 | 1990 (Five Nations); Six Nations grand slam never achieved |
| Italy |
0 | Never achieved |
Five Nations XV
 | |
| Unions | International Rugby Board |
|---|---|
| First match | |
| Overseas Unions 32 - 13 Five Nations XV | |
| Largest win | |
| None | |
| Largest defeat | |
| Overseas Unions 32 - 13 Five Nations XV | |
In 1986 a team was put together made up of representatives of the Five Nations in order to play a one-off match against an Overseas Unions rugby union team to commemorate the centenary of the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB), which would shortly afterwards become the IRB or International Rugby Board. The match was played on Saturday, 19 April 1986,[21] and the Five Nations lost 32-13.[22]
Coaching team
France Jacques Fouroux (Coach)
Wales Clive Rowlands (Manager)
The match
Unlike the first celebratory match three days earlier in a wet Cardiff Arms Park, this game was played in ideal conditions at Twickenham.[23] At the time, there were only eight Unions affiliated to the Board, thus only players from those unions were chosen.
Note that at the time, tries were worth four points. The five-point try was not instituted until 1992.
| April 19, 1986 |
| Five Nations XV | 13 – 32 | Overseas Unions |
| Try: Ringland (2) Con: Blanco Penalty Goal: Kiernan | Try: Gerber (2) Kirwan du Plessis Rodriguez Shaw Con: Botha Penalty Goal: Botha (2) |
| Twickenham Stadium, London Referee: D I H Burnett (Ireland) |
Five Nations: Blanco ( France); Ringland ( Ireland), Sella ( France), M. Kiernan ( Ireland), R. Underwood ( England); M. Dacey ( Wales), R. J. Hill ( England); Whitefoot ( Wales), S. Brain ( England), I. Milne ( Scotland), Condom ( France), Lenihan ( Ireland) (captain), J. Jeffrey ( Scotland), Paxton ( Scotland), L. Rodriguez ( France)
Overseas Unions: R. Gould (
Australia); Kirwan (
New Zealand), D. Gerber (
South Africa), W. Taylor ( New Zealand), C. du Plessis ( South Africa); N. Botha ( South Africa), Loveridge ( New Zealand); E. Rodríguez ( Australia), A. Dalton ( New Zealand) (captain), G. Knight ( New Zealand) (F. van der Merwe ( South Africa) had been named in starting lineup in programme), S. Cutler ( Australia), Haden ( New Zealand), Poidevin ( Australia), Tuynman ( Australia), M. Shaw ( New Zealand)
Records
As of the close of the 2011 Six Nations, England's Jonny Wilkinson currently holds the records for individual points in one match (35 points against Italy in 2001) and one season with 89 (scored in 2001). Ronan O'Gara of Ireland holds the career scoring record with 551 points to Wilkinson's 546, having surpassed Wilkinson in Round 3 of the 2011 championship.
The record for tries in a match is held by Scotsman George Lindsay who scored five tries against Wales in 1887.[24] England's Cyril Lowe and Scotland's Ian Smith jointly hold the record for tries in one season with 8 (Lowe in 1914, Smith in 1925). Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll has the Championship record for tries with 25 from 2000 to the present. He set the record on 19 March 2011 versus England.
The record for appearances is jointly held by two Irishmen—Mike Gibson and O'Gara. Gibson played in 56 Five Nations matches (Italy had not become part of the Championship yet) between 1964 and 1979,[24] whilst O'Gara, who made his first Championship appearance in the inaugural Six Nations in 2000, equalled this record during Ireland's victory over England in the 2011 Six Nations Championship.
The most points scored by a team in one match was England when they scored 80 points against Italy in 2001. England also scored the most ever points in a season in 2001 with 229, and most tries in a season with 28.[24] Wales hold the record for fewest tries conceded during a season in the Six Nations era, conceding only 2 in 5 games in 2008, but the 1977 Grand Slam-winning France team did not concede a try in their four matches.
Six Nations points scoring statistics 2000–2011
The following table summarises the total number of points, and the number of tries, scored by each team in the Six Nations
| Year | England |
Wales |
Scotland |
Ireland |
France |
Italy |
Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| points | tries | points | tries | points | tries | points | tries | points | tries | points | tries | points | tries | |
| 2000 | 183 | 20 | 111 | 8 | 95 | 9 | 168 | 17 | 140 | 12 | 106 | 9 | 803 | 75 |
| 2001 | 229 | 29 | 125 | 10 | 116 | 8 | 129 | 11 | 115 | 9 | 106 | 8 | 820 | 74 |
| 2002 | 184 | 23 | 119 | 11 | 91 | 6 | 145 | 16 | 156 | 15 | 70 | 4 | 765 | 75 |
| 2003 | 173 | 18 | 82 | 10 | 81 | 7 | 119 | 10 | 153 | 17 | 100 | 12 | 708 | 74 |
| 2004 | 150 | 17 | 125 | 14 | 53 | 4 | 128 | 17 | 144 | 14 | 42 | 2 | 642 | 68 |
| 2005 | 121 | 16 | 151 | 17 | 84 | 8 | 126 | 12 | 134 | 13 | 55 | 5 | 671 | 71 |
| 2006 | 120 | 12 | 80 | 9 | 78 | 5 | 131 | 12 | 148 | 18 | 72 | 5 | 629 | 61 |
| 2007 | 119 | 10 | 86 | 7 | 95 | 7 | 149 | 17 | 155 | 15 | 94 | 9 | 698 | 65 |
| 2008 | 108 | 8 | 148 | 13 | 69 | 3 | 93 | 9 | 103 | 11 | 74 | 6 | 517 | 50 |
| 2009 | 124 | 16 | 100 | 8 | 79 | 4 | 121 | 12 | 124 | 14 | 49 | 2 | 597 | 56 |
| 2010 | 88 | 6 | 113 | 10 | 83 | 3 | 106 | 9 | 135 | 13 | 69 | 5 | 594 | 46 |
| 2011 | 132 | 13 | 95 | 6 | 82 | 6 | 93 | 10 | 117 | 10 | 70 | 6 | 589 | 51 |
| TOTAL | 1731 | 188 | 1337 | 123 | 1006 | 70 | 1508 | 152 | 1624 | 156 | 907 | 73 | 7937 | 739 |
The record number of points in a season is 229 by England in 2001. They also scored the most tries (29) in a single Six Nations Tournament that year. The lowest scoring team is Italy, who have only managed 907 points.
Expansion
During the 1980s, Romania expressed an interest in joining the tournament, but rugby in that country began a sharp decline after the Romanian Revolution of 1989, and the decline accelerated after the sport went professional in 1995. [citation needed]
Georgia have expressed interest in joining the Six Nations to create a Seven Nations Tournament or possibly having a promotion/relegation play-off with the last placed team. [citation needed]
Argentina had shown interest in joining the Six Nations, but joined the Tri Nations in 2012, with the competition being renamed The Rugby Championship.[25]
Women's
The Women's Six Nations Championship is run to the same schedule and on the same weekends as the men's competition. The first women's Six Nations tournament was in the 2002, succeeding a Five Nations tournament that ran from 1999 to 2001, and a Home Nations tournament from 1996–1998. The tournament included the same national teams as the men's competition did, with the exception that Spain took part instead of Italy.
This continued until 2007 when, as a result of the formal adoption of the competition by the Six Nations Committee, Spain was replaced with Italy – purely in order to align both the women's and men's national team participants. Historically in women's rugby Spain had been a significantly stronger team than not only Italy, but had occasionally finished above Ireland, Wales, and Scotland in the tournament.
Administration, television contracts and sponsorship
The Championship is run from headquarters in Dublin which also takes responsibility for the British and Irish Lions tours. CEO of the Championship is John Feehan, a former Leinster player. Television contracts, sponsorship, match venues and other logistical problems are addressed.
TV Coverage and radio coverage of the competition is available on the BBC's various platforms in the United Kingdom. In Ireland, RTÉ have broadcast the championship since their inception. France Télévisions cover the competition in France whilst in Italy, Sky Italia are the newest broadcaster of the competition. In the United States, BBC America simulcasts the BBC's feed for selected matches (one per round). In Wales, S4C have on occasions screened matches featuring the national team's home games using the BBC's feed with Welsh commentary, with a number of English speaking former Welsh players using the Welsh language for studio analysis and pitch side reporting.
Scotland's former head coach, Matt Williams, laments Six Nations isn't broadcast in his native Australia.[26]
The competition is sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Player stats
Players expected to be involved in the 2012 Six Nations are in bold type.
Points
| Player Name | Points | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| Ronan O'Gara | 551 | Ireland
|
| Jonny Wilkinson | 546 | England
|
| Stephen Jones | 467 | Wales
|
| Neil Jenkins | 406 | Wales
|
| Chris Paterson | 403 | Scotland
|
| Gavin Hastings | 288 | Scotland
|
| David Humphreys | 270 | Ireland
|
Tries
| Player Name | Tries | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| Brian O'Driscoll | 25 | Ireland
|
| Ian Smith | 24 | Scotland
|
| Shane Williams | 22 | Wales
|
| Gareth Edwards | 18 | Wales
|
| Cyril Lowe | 18 | England
|
| Rory Underwood | 18 | England
|
See also
- Six Nations Under 20s Championship
- Women's Six Nations Championship
- European Nations Cup (the 7th–12th rugby teams in Europe)
- Rugby union trophies and awards
Notes
a. ^ Name of the Six Nations Championship in the languages of participating countries:
Bibliography
- Godwin, Terry (1984). The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983. London: Willows Books. ISBN 000218060X.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - Starmer-Smith, Nigel (ed) Rugby - A Way of Life, An Illustrated History of Rugby (Lennard Books, 1986 ISBN 071262662X)
References
- ^ Godwin (1984), pg 1. First ever Home Nations International Championship played in 1883, no other Northern Hemisphere team played a recognised international match until France faced New Zealand in 1906
- ^ "Rules of the RBS 6 Nations Championship". RBS 6 Nations. Retrieved 24 February 2008.
- ^ "Six Nations Championship Trophy Trust". RBS 6 Nations. Retrieved 5 February 2007.
- ^ "The Calcutta Cup: the legacy of a club that died" (PDF). Scottish Rugby. Retrieved 29 September 2007. [dead link]
- ^ Massie, Alan (19 February 2000). "Lamenting the sad decline of the fighting Irish". The Scotsman. p. 31.
- ^ Ferrie, Kevin (22 March 1999). "Scotland now have quality in quantity". The Herald. p. 1.
- ^ Walsh, David (13 February 2005). "Scots torn apart by Irish mean machine". The Sunday Times. p. Sport 2.
- ^ "About Us". RFU. Retrieved 29 September 2007.
- ^ Mediaclan 2008. "Flaminio Stadio Rugby Tickets & Stadio Flaminio Stadium guide, Rome Italy". Ticketbooth.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Italy to move Six Nations games from Rome to Florence". BBC Sport. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
- ^ "RBS 6 Nazioni, allo Stadio Olimpico l'Edizione 2012" (Press release) (in Italian). Italian Rugby Federation. 13 July 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- ^ Sportsbeat (14 July 2011). "Italy switch stadium to Stadio Olimpico". RBS 6 Nations. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
- ^ God Save the King Wikipedia
- ^ By convention, Wales is credited with two Grand Slams for the years 1908 and 1909 because, if France was admitted only in 1910, Wales already met France on the sidelines of the Tournament and doubled the Triple Crown of a victory against France.
- ^ Godwin (1984), pg 9.
- ^ Note: Due to disputes between the English and Scottish Unions and Welsh and Irish Unions, the Championship finished two matches short.
- ^ Note: Due to England refusing to join the newly formed IRB
- ^ Note: Incomplete games because some teams refused to play each other because of the Gould affair
- ^ a b c d e "Six Nations roll of honour". BBC. 29 January 2004. Retrieved 3 March 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Asterisk * indicates won on points difference
- ^ Starmer-Smith, p184, image of programme
- ^ Starmer-Smith, p186
- ^ "IRB Centenary matches, Irish try-scorers against New Zealand and snow-blighted seasons". espnscrum.com. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
- ^ a b c "Six Nations records". Rugby Heaven. 1 February 2005. Retrieved 8 August 2007. [dead link]
- ^ "Tri-Nations becomes The Rugby Championship". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. 8 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
- ^ Williams, Matt (31 January 2011). "Tough to view Six Nations from Down Under". Irish Times. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
External links
