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General knowledge · Sport

The Six Nations Championship

1883 as the Home Nations; six teams from 2000

Sport — rugby union

The annual rugby union championship contested by England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales over five weekends in February and March. It began in 1883 as the Home Nations Championship between the four British and Irish teams, became the Five Nations when France joined in 1910, and took its present name and shape when Italy were admitted in 2000. A clutch of side trophies is at stake within it, the oldest being the Calcutta Cup.

How to spot them

  • ▸Five rounds in February and March; a Grand Slam, a Triple Crown and a Wooden Spoon
  • ▸A cup made from melted-down silver rupees
  • ▸Ireland field a single team drawn from both jurisdictions
  • ▸Bonus points introduced in 2017, with three extra for a Grand Slam

Key facts

A trophy made from the melted-down silver rupees of a disbanded club in India (1879)

The Calcutta Cup, contested by England and Scotland; it has three cobra handles and an elephant on the lid

Began in 1883 between four home unions; France joined in 1910 and Italy in 2000

Italy marked their debut by beating Scotland 34–20 in Rome

Winning all five matches earns a Grand Slam; finishing last earns the Wooden Spoon

Losing all five is a whitewash

The Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy and the Centenary Quaich

France v Italy, introduced in 2007 for the bicentenary of Garibaldi's birth; Scotland v Ireland, a two-handled Scottish drinking cup, since 1989

One of the four British and Irish sides beating the other three takes a Triple Crown

Recognised since the 1880s, but a physical trophy has only been awarded since 2006

France took the 2026 title but were denied a Grand Slam by a defeat at Twickenham (2026)

England ended the French clean sweep in London

Quick-fire facts

  • •The Home Nations Championship began in 1883; France first played in 1910, making it the Five Nations
  • •France were excluded from 1932 to 1939 over allegations of professionalism in the French club game
  • •Italy joined in 2000, creating the Six Nations; they beat Scotland in their first match
  • •The Calcutta Cup dates from 1879 and was funded by melting down the silver rupees of the disbanded Calcutta Football Club
  • •Other trophies include the Millennium Trophy (England v Ireland, from 1988), the Auld Alliance Trophy (France v Scotland, from 2018) and the Doddie Weir Cup (Scotland v Wales, from 2018)
  • •A championship trophy has been presented since 1993; a bonus-point system was introduced in 2017, with three bonus points for a Grand Slam so that a Slam can never be beaten on points
  • •Ireland field a single team representing both the Republic and Northern Ireland; at home matches 'Ireland's Call' is played alongside the national anthem
  • •Jonny Wilkinson was for years the championship's leading points scorer; Brian O'Driscoll holds the record for most tries, with 26
  • •A Women's Six Nations runs alongside the men's tournament; England won it in 2026 with a Grand Slam

Drill it — 10 cards

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Sources