The Six Nations, arguably the best competition in international rugby, returns with a bang in 2023, with Wales meeting Ireland in Cardiff before auld rivals England and Scotland clash at Twickenham.
While the anticipation for the tournament is always strong, the stakes have been elevated higher than ever for this year’s edition. England and Wales have both seen coaching changes since the autumn while defending champions France will be aiming for a solid showing ahead of hosting the Rugby World Cup later this year.
As usual, the tournament will run from early February to mid-March, bringing five weeks of strong competition and kicking off what promises to be a jam-packed year of elite international rugby, culminating in late October at the Stade de France.
This will be the 24th edition of the contemporary Six Nations championship, which began in 2000 after Italy joined the previous Five Nations championship. The tournament’s origins may be traced back to 1883, when England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales competed in the inaugural Home Nations Championship.
This year’s edition has plenty of scores to settle, and all six countries will have one eye on the World Cup later in 2023 as we prepare for the commencement of another spectacular campaign.
The EM2Sports News has you covered for all you need to know about the Six Nations tournament.
How to watch Rugby Six Nations Championship 2023 Live Free:
Viewers around the world can watch the action live on the following channels and here for free:
Live Broadcast: Rugby Six Nations Championship 2023 Live
What time are the Six Nations 2023 matches?
For the first four weeks, the 2023 Six Nations matches will be played at three distinct times: 14:15 and 16:45 GMT on Saturdays, and 15:00 GMT on Sundays.
All three games took place on Saturday, March 18, in the last week. The games begin at 12:30, 14:45, and 17:00 GMT.
Six Nations 2023 schedule, results
Week 1
| Date | Match | Time (GMT) | Time (ET) | Result |
| Feb. 4 | Wales vs Ireland | 14:15 | 09:15 | — |
| Feb. 4 | England vs Scotland | 16:45 | 11:45 | — |
| Feb. 5 | Italy vs France | 15:00 | 10:00 | — |
Week 2
| Date | Match | Time (GMT) | Time (ET) | Result |
| Feb. 11 | Ireland vs France | 14:15 | 09:15 | — |
| Feb. 11 | Scotland vs Wales | 16:45 | 11:45 | — |
| Feb. 12 | England vs Italy | 15:00 | 10:00 | — |
Week 3
| Date | Match | Time (GMT) | Time (ET) | Result |
| Feb. 25 | Italy vs Ireland | 14:15 | 09:15 | — |
| Feb. 25 | Wales vs England | 16:45 | 11:45 | — |
| Feb. 26 | France vs Scotland | 15:00 | 10:00 | — |
Week 4
| Date | Match | Time (GMT) | Time (ET) | Result |
| March 11 | Italy vs Wales | 14:15 | 09:15 | — |
| March 11 | England vs France | 16:45 | 11:45 | — |
| March 12 | Scotland vs Ireland | 15:00 | 10:00 | — |
Week 5
| Date | Match | Time (GMT) | Time (ET) | Result |
| March 18 | Scotland vs Italy | 12:30 | 07:30 | — |
| March 18 | France vs Wales | 14:45 | 09:45 | — |
| March 18 | Ireland vs England | 17:00 | 12:00 | — |
Six Nations 2023 standings
| Place | Team | Points | Played | Points Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | France | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Ireland | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Scotland | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Wales | 0 | 0 | 0 |
How to watch Six Nations 2023: TV channel, live stream
| TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|
| USA | — | fuboTV, Peacock |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
| UK | BBC, ITV, S4C | BBC iPlayer, ITVX |
| Australia | — | Stan Sport |
| New Zealand | — | Sky Sport NOW |
| India | — | Premier Sports Asia |
| Hong Kong | — | Premier Sports Asia |
| Malaysia | — | Premier Sports Asia |
| Singapore | — | Premier Sports Asia |
USA: All games are live on Peacock and will be accessible on fuboTV as well. They will, however, be rebroadcast on CNBC on a delayed basis, usually by a couple of hours.
DAZN is streaming all games live in Canada.
Matches will be televised on BBC and ITV in the United Kingdom, and S4C in Wales.
Stan Sport provides Six Nations coverage in Australia.
Premier Sports Asia is the primary location to watch the Six Nations.
What is the Six Nations 2023 scoring system?
There are four points awarded for each win, two for each tie, and zero for each defeat – but there are some additional points available.
A team will receive a bonus point if they score four tries or more in a game. Furthermore, defeated clubs receive an extra point if their margin of defeat is seven points or less.
This means that a victorious team could receive four or five points, while a losing team could receive zero, one, or two points.
What is a Grand Slam in Six Nations?
There is another way to get some extra points on the board. If a team wins all five of their matches, achieving a ‘Grand Slam,’ they are rewarded three additional points. This has been accomplished in 12 of the last 22 Six Nations tournaments.
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France finished first in the standings in 2022 with 25 points, having won all of their matches and earning five bonus points by completing the Grand Slam and through the try-scoring incentive system.
Six Nations 2023 betting odds, favourites
Ireland is the betting favourite to win the Six Nations, according to Sky Bet, Caesars, and Sports Interaction. France, the defending champions, is the second-best bet.
Sky Bet has Ireland as the favourite to win the Triple Crown and/or the Grand Slam, with odds of 5/4 to beat the other three Home Nations and 3/1 to win all five games.
| Winner | Sky Bet (UK) | Caesars (US) | Sports Interaction (Canada) | Neds (Aus) |
| Ireland | 11/8 | +130 | 2.29 | TBC |
| France | 6/4 | +150 | 2.57 | TBC |
| England | 9/2 | +450 | 4.75 | TBC |
| Wales | 12/1 | +1600 | 12.00 | TBC |
| Scotland | 20/1 | +2000 | 19.75 | TBC |
| Italy | 500/1 | +50000 | 486.00 | TBC |
Six Nations rivalries, trophies, and Triple Crown explained
A Triple Crown is won by England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland winning all three of their games against the other so-called ‘home nations’.
Each year, six individual rivalry trophies are up for grabs, with the following teams competing:
Calcutta Cup: England vs Scotland
Millennium Trophy: England vs Ireland
Centenary Quaich: Scotland vs Ireland
Guiseppe Garibaldi Trophy: France vs Italy
Auld Alliance Trophy: Scotland vs France
Doddie Weir Cup: Scotland vs Wales
Cuttitta Cup: Scotland vs Italy
Who has won the most Six Nations championships?
England has won the most titles overall, including the Home Nations, Five Nations, and Six Nations tournaments.
They have won the competition 29 times (with an additional ten shared titles), surpassing Wales (28 wins, 11 shared titles).
England has the most trophies in the Six Nations history, with seven, barely ahead of Wales and France on six. Ireland has four Six Nations titles, whereas Scotland and Italy have none.
