FAQs about the Six Nations rugby championship
Do you know who the six nations are?
The world’s greatest rugby tournament is right around the corner, and whether you are already au fait with the legendary championship, wondering what all the fuss is about, or somewhere in between, here are some FAQs that you might find interesting ahead of the 2019 championship.
Who are the Six Nations?
The six nations involved in the tournament are; Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy. Italy is the newest nation to the tournament having joined in 2000.
How did the tournament start?
The Six Nations tournament remarkably dates back to 1882, making it the oldest rugby championship in the world. Originally it was a competition between Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales. France joined the championship in 1910, and Italy joined recently in 2000.
Is this tournament only for men?
The original Six Nations tournament is the men’s competition. There are now also women’s and under-20s championships.
How many matches will each team play?
Each team will play the other nations once, so will therefore have five games. Unlike other tournaments, each nation will only play an opponent once.
Do they play home and away?
Yes, each nation will have home games and away games at opposing nation’s stadiums. As each team will play five games, the balance of games will rotate each year. For example, this year Scotland has three home games at Murrayfield, and two away games (France and England). To address the imbalance, next year’s tournament will see Scotland playing three away games and only two games at home at Murrayfield.
How is the winner decided?
Teams are awarded match points at the end of each game. The winner is awarded four points, the defeated team doesn’t receive any points, for games which result in a draw two points are awarded to each team. There is an additional point up for grabs for both the winning and losing teams if they score four or more tries. The losing team can gain an additional bonus point if they lose within a margin of seven points in the final score. A team that wins all five of its games wins an additional three match points. The winner of the Six Nations is determined by the table of match points. The country with the highest number of points is the overall winner.
As well as the overall winner of the Six Nations, there are other trophies to be won within the Six Nations competition; the Calcutta Cup, the Triple Crown and the Grand Slam.
What is the Calcutta Cup?
The Calcutta Cup is the oldest rugby trophy in the world and is awarded to the winner of the match between Scotland and England. Although it is now part of the Six Nations competition, it actually pre-dates the tournament. The Calcutta Cup is currently held by Scotland and will be contested at Twickenham on 16 March.
What is the Triple Crown?
The Triple Crown is awarded to any of the home countries; Scotland, England, Ireland or Wales who successfully defeat all three of the other home nations teams.
What is the Grand Slam?
The Grand Slam is awarded to a team who defeats all other five nations in the tournament.
This is a rare occurrence with Scotland have only ever having won the grand slam three times in total.
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Everything you need to know about the Six Nations 2019
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