In a groundbreaking development, rugby authorities are on the brink of reaching an agreement to trim the Six Nations tournament from its traditional seven-week duration to a more compact six-week format.
According to a report by The Times, the proposed alteration involves scrapping the second fallow week to accommodate a fourth autumn international weekend, which will become imperative with the introduction of the much-anticipated Nations Championship in 2026.
The Nations Championship concept, eagerly awaited by fans worldwide, aims to foster exhilarating showdowns between teams from the northern and southern hemispheres.
It will feature a thrilling trilogy of clashes during the summer and autumn windows, culminating in a captivating Grand Final weekend towards the end of November.
The decision to truncate the Six Nations calendar by eliminating an international week has been primarily driven by the influential French clubs.
Unwilling to surrender their star players to international duty more frequently than they already do, these clubs have been strong advocates for this change.
Notably, prominent figures such as Warren Gatland have voiced concerns about the potential impact of condensing the Six Nations on player welfare.
2025 Six Nations fixtures and kick off times confirmed with ‘nightmare start’ for England
Commenting on the 2025 Guinness Six Nations fixtures, Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, said:
“The Guinness Men’s Six Nations is an appointment to view each year, delivering blockbuster entertainment for fans all over the world. The Championship never fails to deliver unpredictable excitement and experiences for fans to look forward to and then savour.
“The announcement of the next instalment of fixtures is always keenly anticipated by fans, and with tickets now available for the 2025 fixtures, coupled with extensive broadcast coverage of the games, fans can already begin looking forward to what is in store as the action for the remaining rounds of this year’s Championship plays out.”
2025 Siz Nations Fixtures
ROUND 1
- Friday 31 January
- France vs Wales – 8.15pm
- Saturday 1 February
- Scotland vs Italy – 2.15pm
- Ireland vs England – 4.45pm
ROUND 2
- Saturday 8 February
- Italy vs Wales – 2.15pm
- England vs France – 4.45pm
- Sunday 9 February
- Scotland vs Ireland – 3pm