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Six Nations 2026
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Steve@Mose View Drop Down
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    Posted: 19 May 2025 at 12:26
Thursday night blockbuster to start 2026 Six Nations

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Ireland will travel to defending champions France in the first-ever Thursday night fixture in Six Nations' history when the 2026 tournament begins on 5 February.

Ireland and France have won the last four titles between them and their blockbuster 20:10 GMT encounter has been brought forward to avoid a clash with the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan the following day.

The shift is designed to maximise audiences in France.

The finale of last year's tournament, when France beat Scotland to secure the title, returned record Six Nations audiences in France with 9.5m people (a 46% share of viewers) watching live on France2., external

The 2026 tournament recorded a 6.3% increase in audience in domestic markets overall.

It has also been confirmed there will be only one rest weekend, rather than the previous two, in the 2026 tournament.

2026 Six Nations fixtures in full (all times GMT)

Round 1

France v Ireland - Thursday 5 February (20:10)

Italy v Scotland - Saturday 7 February (14:10)

England v Wales - Saturday 7 February (16:40)

Round 2

Ireland v Italy - Saturday 14 February (14:10)

Scotland v England - Saturday 14 February (16:40)

Wales v France - Sunday 15 Feburary (15:10)

Round 3

England v Ireland - Saturday 21 February (14:10)

Wales v Scotland - Saturday 21 February (16:40)

France v Italy - Sunday 22 February (15:10)

Round 4

Ireland v Wales - Friday 6 March (20:10)

Scotland v France - Saturday 7 March (14:10)

Italy v England - Saturday 7 March (16:40)

Round 5

Ireland v Scotland - Saturday 14 March (14:10)

Wales v Italy - Saturday 14 March (16:40)

France v England - Saturday 14 March (20:10)

...

It is hoped the shorter length of the tournament will allow it to gather more momentum, with narratives holding the public attention more easily.

Previously, the third round of fixtures would have been sandwiched between two rest weekends.

After France take on Ireland, the rest of the opening round of fixtures sees Scotland travel to Italy on Saturday, 7 February (14:10 GMT) and England host Wales on the same day (16:40 GMT).

France are still to confirm the venues for their games.

The French Rugby Federation said in December it had not yet received a satisfactory proposal to stay at the Stade de France, their usual Paris home.

It added it was considering "the various opportunities available" elsewhere.

France played in M@rseille, Lille and Lyon in the 2024 Six Nations while preparations for the Olympics in Paris meant the Stade de France was off limits.

All three venues can hold more than 50,000, but none can match the 80,000 capacity and revenue generated by the Stade de France.

Six Nations organisers have also confirmed that the 2026 women's tournament will kick off three weeks later than the 2025 edition, pushing it to an April start and May finish.

The change is part of new and separate global calendar for the women's game.

It means England's PWR season will conclude after mid-summer with the top flight having a rest weekend followed by two regular-season rounds, semi-finals and a 27 June final after the conclusion of the Women's Six Nations.


Edited by Steve@Mose - 19 May 2025 at 12:28
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Points: 3074 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve@Mose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 1 hour 38 minutes ago at 13:23
Single-day 'super' rounds for 2026 Women's Six Nations

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Each round of next year's Women's Six Nations will be staged on a single day, with four 'Super Saturdays' leading to Sunday 17 May when holders England travel to nearest rivals France in the final match of the tournament.

Runaway world number ones England have won seven successive titles, but France threatened to ruin their most recent celebrations, coming within a point of the Red Roses in April.

England will stage their 11 April opener against Ireland at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium, where, in 2023, they set a world record for the biggest crowd for a women's Test match with 58,498 watching a win over France.

England's meeting with Ireland will be the Red Roses' first match following their 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup campaign on home turf, where they are favourites to lift the crown for the first time in 11 years.

Scotland will host England at Murrayfield the following week in the first standalone women's international at the venue staged in front of fans.

The current record attendance for a Scotland women's home match - 7,774, set at the 2024 meeting between the two rivals – is expected to be beaten.

However venues for the rest of the matches are yet to be announced, with organisers saying they "will be announced in due course".

The 2026 tournament starts three weeks after the end of the men's Six Nations, rather than the previous one-week gap, as part of a new global international calendar.

It is hoped the tournament, coming a little over six months after the finale of the Women's Rugby World Cup in England, will attract unprecedented audiences

2026 Women's Six Nations fixtures

All times BST

Saturday 11 April

France v Italy 12:25

England v Ireland - Allianz Stadium - 14:25

Wales v Scotland 16:40

Saturday 18 April

Scotland v England – Murrayfield – 13:30

Wales v France – 15:35

Ireland v Italy 17:40

Saturday 25 April

England v Wales 14:15

Italy v Scotland – 16:30

France v Ireland – 20:10

Saturday 9 May

Italy v England – 14:00

Scotland v France – 16:15

Ireland v Wales – 18:30

Sunday 17 May

Wales v Italy – 12:15

Ireland v Scotland – 14:30

France v England – 16:45
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