Shockingly, rugby union is played by people outside of Major League Rugby. As such, we pull together primers on different competitions for new fans. Today, we look at the Six Nations.
Six Nations
The Six Nations Rugby Championship dates as far back as the 1880s. At that point, it was know as the Home Nations and was contested by the four countries within the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The tournament became the Five Nations when France was added in 1910, and it expanded to the current format in 2000 with the addition of Italy. Today, it is the biggest international rugby competition in the Northern Hemisphere.
Format
The Six Nations Rugby Championship is a simple round robin competition. Each side takes on each other side once in a league format. The standard rugby union table is used, with the addition of bonus points for a team that manages to win all five matches to ensure that a perfect record cannot be defeated on bonus points.
Should You Watch
What else are you doing on a Saturday morning? European rugby has opened up in the last couple years, adding more emphasis as attacking play in the style of the Southern Hemisphere. These are the teams at or near the top of the test rugby pyramid. If you want to see the type of team the USA must one day compete with, its worth your time.
How to Watch
The Six Nations Rugby Championship airs live on Peacock and on tap delay on CNBC.
RugbyFootballTalk 