The Six Nations Championship is one of the most prestigious annual rugby tournaments in the world, featuring England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. Established in 1883 as the Home Nations Championship, it expanded over time to include France in 1910 and Italy in 2000, forming the modern Six Nations.

The tournament runs from February to March, with each team playing five matches in a round-robin format. The team with the most points wins the championship, and additional honors include the Grand Slam (winning all five matches), the Triple Crown (for a Home Nation beating the other three), and various rivalry trophies like the Calcutta Cup (England vs. Scotland) and the Millennium Trophy (England vs. Ireland).

Historically, England and Wales have dominated, but Ireland and France have been strong in recent years. Italy has struggled since joining but remains competitive. The Six Nations showcases thrilling rugby, intense rivalries, and passionate fans, making it a highlight of the sport’s calendar. It also serves as a key indicator of form ahead of the Rugby World Cup. With its deep history and fierce competition, the Six Nations remains an iconic and beloved tournament in international rugby.

The Six Nations involves six European national sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.

The 2025 Six Nations takes place between Friday 31st January 2025 and Saturday 15th March 2025.

It is currently sponsored by the Guinness, and also known as the Guinness Six Nations.

Six Nations TV Coverage – Six Nations Broadcasters

The BBC have had live coverage of the Six Nations since its inception.
In 2016 it was announced that the BBC had renegotiated its deal and would start to share UK TV coverage of the Six Nations with ITV, for the next six years.
Under this deal all England, Ireland and Italy home matches will be live on ITV; all Wales, Scotland and France home matches will be live on BBC: all Wales matches live on S4C.

On 2021, the TV deal with BBC and ITV was renewed for a further four years, allowing free to air TV coverage of the Six Nations in the UK until 2025.

Matches that feature Wales will also be covered on Welsh language channel S4C.

Six Nations fixtures and TV schedule 2025

(All times GMT)

Round one

Friday 31 January

France vs Wales – Stade de France, Paris (8:15pm, ITV, S4C)

Saturday 1 February

Scotland vs Italy – Murrayfield, Edinburgh, (2:15pm, BBC)

Ireland vs England – Aviva Stadium, Dublin (4:45pm, ITV)

Round two

Saturday 8 February

Wales vs Italy – Principality Stadium, Cardiff (2:15pm, BBC, S4C)

England vs France – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (4:45pm, ITV)

Sunday 9 February

Scotland vs Ireland – Murrayfield, Edinburgh (3pm, BBC)

Round three

Saturday 22 February

Wales vs Ireland – Principality Stadium, Cardiff (2:15pm, BBC, S4C)

England vs Scotland – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (4:45pm, ITV)

Sunday 23 February

Italy vs France – Stadio Olimpico, Rome (3pm, ITV)

Round four

Saturday 8 March

Ireland vs France – Aviva Stadium, Dublin (2:15pm, ITV)

Scotland vs Wales – Murrayfield, Edinburgh (4:45pm, BBC, S4C)

Sunday 9 March

England vs Italy – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (3pm, ITV)

Round five

Saturday 15 March

Italy vs Ireland – Stadio Olimpico, Rome (2:15pm, ITV)

Wales vs England – Principality Stadium, Cardiff (4:45pm, BBC, S4C)

France vs Scotland – Stade de France, Paris (8pm, ITV)