The Six Nations Tournament

The Six Nations is the oldest and one of the most prestigious international rugby

tournaments in the world, having been created in the year 1882. The tournament consists of two

teams of 15 players, with an average weight of 250 pounds and an average height of 6'3",

running into each other while trying to carry an egg-shaped ball by passing the ball backward

across one side of a 95-meter field line for a try, or 5 points. In the Six Nations, six European

teams (England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales) face off in the months of February

through March, with each team playing five matches, one against each opponent, with alternating fixtures of home and away games each year. The tournament started with only four teams, England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, before expanding to include France after 28 years and Italy after 118 years.

Via Flags of Ireland Prospect Design

In the most recent Six Nations tournament, France won the title for the 27th time in the

history of the competition, with England and Wales having the most victories at 39 total. France

ranks third, with Ireland fourth and Scotland fifth. Italy, since joining in the year 2000, has yet to

win the Six Nations and has a total of 16 wins out of 140 matches played. Since Italy has a

history of being the worst out of all the teams in the tournament, they have been awarded the

Wooden Spoon (you won no games award) numerous times. Italy has been given the Wooden

Spoon 18 times in 25 years. However, this year, it was Wales who received the award after a

disappointing display. France this year crushed the hearts of Irish supporters, preventing them

from winning the Six Nations three times consecutively with a decisive 36-16 victory over

Scotland in the Stade de France. France had some great players, notably the French hero Antoine Dupont, who helped France win the Rugby 7s in the Olympics. Caelan Doris from Ireland also had a strong tournament, with his defensive contributions being imperative to The Shamrocks’ success, which almost led them to a third heroic and historic consecutive title. The tournament has fierce rivalries, like England vs. Scotland, which has its own name, the Calcutta Cup. England and France also have a strong dislike for one another with both nations pretending that they dislike one another for rugby reasons, when really it's deeper than that. The Irish are also definitely extra proud whenever they beat the English for obvious reasons. For the Irish beating the English is basically a national day of celebration. All that to say, basically every team hates the English team, and enjoys seeing them lose a few matches..

The fans also play a large role in the Six Nations, with an average attendance of 60,000

people per match. They bring unique traditions to the sport, like Scotland's bagpipe playing, the

French national anthem, and the Irish singing of ‘The Fields of Athenry’. The traditional chants

sung in pubs keep rivalry and team pride intact for generations, as well as fueling debates over

referees’ decisions. Fans' energy, both in and out of stadiums, can bring underdogs to victory, and in the Six Nations, upsets are far from uncommon, for example, Italy's first win against Wales in 2022. 

Although unlikely, the Six Nations could always introduce new, exciting teams worthy of a spot in the prestigious tournament, most notably Portugal and Georgia, making things more

exciting for the future of the 141-year-old tournament.