Six Nations Championship
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The Six Nations Championship (referred to as RBS 6 Nations for sponsorship reasons), known before 2000 as the Five Nations Championship, is an annual international rugby union competition held between six European sides; England, France (since 1910), Ireland, Italy (since 2000), Scotland and Wales. The winner of the Six Nations is often seen as being the unofficial European Champions.The Five Nations Championship, with its predecessor, the Home Championship, was the premier international rugby union tournament in the Northern hemisphere. It has also in the past been known as 'The International Championship'. There is also a Women's Six Nations Championship with Spain instead of Italy.
France are the current defending champions having won the competition in 2006. No Grand Slam was won, but Ireland won the Triple Crown. Italy won their first point away from home in a draw with Wales.
History
In 1871, England and Scotland played the first rugby union international. After 12 years of occasional friendly matches between the teams, the inaugural Home International Championship, comprising England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales was played in 1883.
England were barred from the championship in 1888 and 1889 because of their stand over representation on the newly-formed International Rugby Board. And in 1897 and 1898 the Welsh were made pariahs over a testimonial fund given to their captain and star player, Arthur Gould. The neighbouring Unions regarded the presentation to Gould as an act of professionalism and only the player's retirement from international rugby resolved the issue.
In 1910 the French, who had played in four of the tournaments up to that time, coined the phrase "Five Nations". Following the 1930 competition, France was expelled amid allegations of professionalism, the inadequacies of the French game's administration and concerns over on-field violence.
France was readmitted following the 1939 competition, but World War II caused the suspension of the Five Nations until 1947. After the competition resumed, it remained the Five Nations for over a half-century.
By the 1970s the Five Nations Championship had become the pre-eminent series in Northern hemisphere rugby union with matches becoming all-ticket affairs, gaining huge popularity and a large television audience.
The Five Nations Championships was left incomplete once, in 1972 when Wales and Scotland refused to play in Ireland after receiving threatening letters.
Until 1993, there was no tangible reward for winning the Five Nations championship: there was neither flag nor cup or any other kind of trophy. However, for season 1992-93, there was presented, for competition, the Five Nations Championship Trophy.
France were the first winners of the new trophy, followed by Wales and then England. Scotland's first success came in season 1998-99; Ireland have yet to win it. Scotland was the last nation to win the Five Nations Trophy as such because Italy joined the competition in 2000 and it is now known as the Six Nations Championship.
The importance of the competition has decreased slightly since the introduction of the Rugby World Cup, but the long standing rivalries between teams mean that it remains a passionate and fiercely contested prize. Despite the quality of the teams involved, the Tri Nations Series does not arouse the same level of passion and intensity, and is a much younger competition, begun in 1996 in the Southern hemisphere.
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 most other Rugby Union competitions the bonus point system is not used, nor is it likely to ever be used as it was shown that in the 2002 championship that, under the bonus points system, England would have won the championship despite France winning the Grand Slam.
Victory in every game results in a so-called 'Grand Slam'; victory by a home nation (i.e. England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland - excluding France and Italy) over the three other home nations is a 'Triple Crown'. The victors of the game between England and Scotland win the Calcutta Cup. Since 1988, the Millennium Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the game between England and Ireland. The last-placed nation is said to have won the Wooden Spoon.
Prior to 1994, teams equal on points shared the championship. After that date, ties were broken by considering the points difference of the teams.
In 2005 Wales won the Grand Slam and Triple Crown, becoming the first team ever to win a Grand Slam playing more games away than at home. This was the last Grand Slam to date.
In 2006, France won the competition on points difference over Ireland. Ireland received the consolation prize of the Triple Crown Trophy, contested for the first time in 2006. Italy were left with the Wooden Spoon, but showed considerable improvement over past years, earning their first-ever competition point away from home in a draw against Wales and being competitive in virtually all their matches.
The Six Nations Championship Trophy
The Six Nations Trophy was originally conceived by the Earl of Westmorland, and made its first appearance at the 1993 championship to the winners, France.
It is a a sterling silver trophy, designed by James Brent-Ward and made by a team of eight silversmiths from the London firm William Comyns, with a value of £55,000. Although originally silver on the inside, the trophy became so corroded through celebratory champagne fillings that it is now gold plated.
It has 15 side panels representing the 15 members of the team and with three handles to represent the three officials. 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.
Current venues
The Six Nations matches are currently held in the following stadia:
- England: Twickenham, London
- France: Stade de France, Saint-Denis (near Paris)
- Ireland: Lansdowne Road, Dublin
- Italy: Stadio Flaminio, Rome
- Scotland: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
- Wales: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Results
Results of the Home (1883–1909), Five (1910–1999) and Six Nations championships.Home Nations 1883–1909
| 1883 |
England |
| 1884 |
England |
| 1885 | Incomplete |
| 1886 |
England and Scotland |
| 1887 |
Scotland |
| 1888 | Incomplete |
| 1889 | Incomplete |
| 1890 |
Scotland and England |
| 1891 |
Scotland |
| 1892 |
England |
| 1893 |
Wales |
| 1894 |
Ireland |
| 1895 |
Scotland |
| 1896 |
Ireland |
| 1897 | Incomplete |
| 1898 | Incomplete |
| 1899 |
Ireland |
| 1900 |
Wales |
| 1901 |
Scotland |
| 1902 |
Wales |
| 1903 |
Scotland |
| 1904 |
Scotland |
| 1905 |
Wales |
| 1906 |
Wales and Ireland |
| 1907 |
Scotland |
| 1908 |
Wales (Triple Crown) |
| 1909 |
Wales (Triple Crown) |
Five Nations 1910–1930
| 1910 |
England |
| 1911 |
Wales (Grand Slam) |
| 1912 |
Ireland and England |
| 1913 |
England (Grand Slam) |
| 1914 |
England (Grand Slam) |
| 1915-19 | Not held due to World War I |
| 1920 |
England, Wales and Scotland |
| 1921 |
England (Grand Slam) |
| 1922 |
Wales |
| 1923 |
England (Grand Slam) |
| 1924 |
England (Grand Slam) |
| 1925 |
Scotland (Grand Slam) |
| 1926 |
Scotland and Ireland |
| 1927 |
Ireland and Scotland |
| 1928 |
England (Grand Slam) |
| 1929 |
Scotland |
| 1930 |
England |
Home Nations 1931–1939
| 1931 |
Wales |
| 1932 |
Ireland, England and Wales |
| 1933 |
Scotland |
| 1934 |
England (Triple Crown) |
| 1935 |
Ireland |
| 1936 |
Wales |
| 1937 |
England (Triple Crown) |
| 1938 |
Scotland |
| 1939 |
England, Wales and Ireland |
Five Nations 1947–1999
| 1940–46 | Not held due to World War II |
| 1947 |
Wales and England |
| 1948 |
Ireland (Grand Slam) |
| 1949 |
Ireland |
| 1950 |
Wales (Grand Slam) |
| 1951 |
Ireland |
| 1952 |
Wales (Grand Slam) |
| 1953 |
England |
| 1954 |
France, England and Wales |
| 1955 |
Wales and France |
| 1956 |
Wales |
| 1957 |
England (Grand Slam) |
| 1958 |
England |
| 1959 |
France |
| 1960 |
France and England |
| 1961 |
France |
| 1962 |
France |
| 1963 |
England |
| 1964 |
Scotland and Wales |
| 1965 |
Wales |
| 1966 |
Wales |
| 1967 |
France |
| 1968 |
France (Grand Slam) |
| 1969 |
Wales |
| 1970 |
Wales and France |
| 1971 |
Wales (Grand Slam) |
| 1972 | Incomplete |
| 1973 | Five way tie |
| 1974 |
Ireland |
| 1975 |
Wales |
| 1976 |
Wales (Grand Slam) |
| 1977 |
France (Grand Slam) |
| 1978 |
Wales (Grand Slam) |
| 1979 |
Wales |
| 1980 |
England (Grand Slam) |
| 1981 |
France (Grand Slam) |
| 1982 |
Ireland |
| 1983 |
France and Ireland |
| 1984 |
Scotland (Grand Slam) |
| 1985 |
Ireland |
| 1986 |
Scotland and France |
| 1987 |
France (Grand Slam) |
| 1988 |
Wales and France |
| 1989 |
France |
| 1990 |
Scotland (Grand Slam) |
| 1991 |
England (Grand Slam) |
| 1992 |
England (Grand Slam) |
| 1993 |
France |
| 1994 |
Wales |
| 1995 |
England (Grand Slam) |
| 1996 |
England |
| 1997 |
France (Grand Slam) |
| 1998 |
France (Grand Slam) |
| 1999 |
Scotland |
Six Nations 2000–present
| 2000 |
England |
| 2001 |
England |
| 2002 |
France (Grand Slam) |
| 2003 |
England (Grand Slam) |
| 2004 |
France (Grand Slam) |
| 2005 |
Wales (Grand Slam) |
| 2006 |
France |
The 2007 tournament will take place between February 3 and March 17 2007.
By number of wins
|
England |
France |
Ireland |
Italy |
Scotland |
Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tournaments | 105 | 75 | 105 | 6 | 105 | 105 |
| Outright Wins | 25 | 15 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 23 |
| Shared Wins | 10 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| Triple Crowns | 23 | - | 8 | - | 10 | 19 |
| Grand Slams | 12 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
Longest wait without a championship
| Team | Period | Years |
|---|---|---|
England | 18 years | 1892-1910 |
Scotland | 28 years 21 tournaments | 1938-1964 |
Wales | 11 years | 1994-2005 |
France | 44 years 37 tournaments | 1910-1954 |
Ireland | 22+ years | 1985-present |
Italy | 7+ years | 2000-present |
See also
- European Nations Cup (the 7th-12th rugby teams in Europe)
- Grand Slam
- Triple Crown
- Wooden spoon
- Calcutta Cup (England v. Scotland)
- Millennium Trophy (England v. Ireland)
External links
- [Six Nations official site]
- [6 Nations at the BBC]
- [Six nations news from Planet Rugby]
- [Italian Rugby Friends] in italian and english. With an English forum for everyone who wants to come to Italy for the 6 Nations.
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