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.
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[edit] 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.
In 1910 the French, who had played in four of the tournaments up to that time, coined the phrase "Five Nations". 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.
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 as it is a much younger competition.
[edit] Controversies
England were barred from the championship in 1888 and 1889 because of their stand over representation on the newly-formed International Rugby Board.
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 Gould's retirement from international rugby enventually resolved the issue.
Following the 1931 competition, France was expelled amid allegations of professionalism, the inadequacies of the French 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.
In 1972, the championship was abandoned as Wales and Scotland refused to play in Ireland after receiving threatening letters purportedly from the IRA.
In 1996, a deal between Sky and the Rugby Football Union would have meant that England games would have been exclusively shown on Sky. This deal caused great controversy at the time and England were threatened with being expelled from the competition and being replaced by Italy.
[edit] 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. Back to back Grand Slams have been achieved on five occasions, by Wales in 1908/1909, by England in 1913/1914, 1923/1924 and 1991/1992 and by France in 1997/1998. England hold the record for the number of Grand Slams won with 12, followed by Wales with 9, France with 8, Scotland with 3 and Ireland with 1.
Victory by a home nation over the three other home nations is a 'Triple Crown'. The Triple Crown has twice been won on four consecutive occasions, once by Wales in 1976/1977/1978/1979 and once by England in 1995/1996/1997/1998. England hold the record for the number of Triple Crowns won with 23, followed by Wales with 18, Scotland with 10 and Ireland with 8.
England's Grand Slam and World Cup win in the same calendar year, 2003, remains a unique achievement.
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, 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.
[edit] 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 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.
[edit] Current venues
The Six Nations matches are currently (as of 2007) held in the following stadia:
- England: Twickenham, London
- Ireland: Croke Park, Dublin
- Scotland: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
- Wales: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
- France: Stade de France, Saint-Denis (near Paris)
- Italy: Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Croke Park is not the normal home of Irish rugby; it is the flagship stadium of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), which until 2005 prohibited its venues from being used for soccer or rugby. Ireland's traditional home, Lansdowne Road, will be unavailable during 2007 or 2008 due to the construction of a completely new stadium on the site of the current, increasingly run-down venue. The all-Ireland governing body for rugby union, the Irish Rugby Football Union, reached an agreement with the GAA to allow Ireland to play their Six Nations fixtures at Croke Park in 2007. The agreement will most likely continue until the new Lansdowne Road opens, projected to be in time for the 2009 Six Nations.
Similarly, the Stadio Flaminio may no longer be big enough, since "palla ovale" is becoming more popular in Italy. Rugby games may in future be held at football stadiums such as the Olimpico in Rome or in the North where rugby is most popular. Tardini, Parma (almost 28,000 seats) or Tenni, Treviso (10,000 seats) have been mooted as possibilities.
[edit] Results
Results of the Home (1883–1909), Five (1910–1999) and Six Nations championships.
[edit] Home Nations 1883–1909
† - Although only a Home Nations Championship, Wales also beat France in both 1908 and 1909 and are regarded therefore as Grand Slam winners for both years.
[edit] Five Nations 1910–1931
[edit] Home Nations 1932–1939
| 1932 | Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg England, Image:Bordered Ireland rugby.png Ireland and Image:Flag of Wales 2.svg Wales |
| 1933 | Image:Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland (Triple Crown) |
| 1934 | Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg England (Triple Crown) |
| 1935 | Image:Bordered Ireland rugby.png Ireland |
| 1936 | Image:Flag of Wales 2.svg Wales |
| 1937 | Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg England (Triple Crown) |
| 1938 | Image:Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland (Triple Crown) |
| 1939 | Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg England, Image:Bordered Ireland rugby.png Ireland and Image:Flag of Wales 2.svg Wales |
[edit] Five Nations 1947–1999
[edit] Six Nations 2000–present
| 2000 | Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg England |
| 2001 | Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg England* |
| 2002 | Image:Flag of France.svg France (Grand Slam) |
| 2003 | Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg England (Grand Slam) |
| 2004 | Image:Flag of France.svg France (Grand Slam) |
| 2005 | Image:Flag of Wales 2.svg Wales (Grand Slam) |
| 2006 | Image:Flag of France.svg France* |
Asterisk * indicates won on points difference
The 2007 tournament will take place between February 3 and March 17 2007.
[edit] By number of wins
| Image:Flag of England.svg England | Image:Flag of France.svg France | Image:Bordered Ireland rugby.png Ireland | Image:Flag of Italy.svg Italy | Image:Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland | Image:Flag of Wales 2.svg Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tournaments | 105 | 75 | 105 | 7 | 105 | 105 |
| Outright Wins (Shared Wins) | 25 (10) | 15 (7) | 10 (8) | 0 (0) | 14 (8) | 23 (10) |
| Grand Slams | 12 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| Triple Crowns | 23 | - | 8 | - | 10 | 18 |
[edit] Longest wait without a championship
| Team | Period | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg England | 18 years 15 tournaments | 1892-1910 |
| Image:Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland | 28 years 21 tournaments | 1938-1964 |
| Image:Flag of Wales 2.svg Wales | 11 years 11 tournaments | 1994-2005 |
| Image:Flag of France.svg France | 44 years 37 tournaments | 1910-1954 |
| Image:Bordered Ireland rugby.png Ireland | 22+ years 22 tournaments | 1985-present |
| Image:Flag of Italy.svg Italy | 7+ years 7 tournaments | 2000-present |
[edit] Six Nations anthems
As the national anthem of the United Kingdom, God Save The Queen is used only by England, with Scotland and Wales using 'de facto' anthems. Also, Ireland's anthem was specially comissioned to satisfy the role of a united Irish side.
- England: God Save The Queen
- France: La Marseillaise
- Ireland: Ireland's Call - Amhrán na bhFiann is also used for games played in the Republic of Ireland.
- Italy: Il Canto degli Italiani
- Scotland: Flower of Scotland
- Wales: Hen Wlad fy Nhadau
[edit] 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)
- Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy (France v. Italy)
[edit] 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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