THE oldest rugby union tournament in the world, the 6 Nations Championship determines the European champions of Test rugby.
Formerly the Home Nations and Five Nations Championships, the competition has been running for over 130 years, halted only for a space of nine years during two World Wars.
Leading into the 2017 tournament, England will look to secure back-to-back titles in the competition that boasts a new points structure.
Here is all you need to know about Europe’s biggest rugby union hit-out.
What is the history of the 6 Nations tournament?
The Six Nations is the successor to the Home Nations and Five Nations Championships.
Created in 1883, the Home Nations Championship was the first international rugby union tournament, and was contested between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
France were added to the mix in 1910 to form the first Five Nations Championship, however they were expelled from the competition in 1932 following allegations of professionalism in the then-amateur game.
Following the end of World War II, France were once again allowed to compete, reforming the Five Nations.
The competition remained largely the same until 2000, when Italy was introduced, creating the inaugural Six Nations Championship.
Who has won the most 6 Nations titles?
England and France currently share the most Six Nations titles between them, with five each. The Roses, however, sit atop the all-time table having secured more Championship points in their five victories.
England also lead the pack for most Five Nations titles, holding 17, closely followed by Wales with 15.
The team that finishes the Championship in last place is said to be awarded the ‘Wooden Spoon’ – a place largely dominated by Italy over the past 16 years.
What is a Grand Slam?
If the Six Nations champion secures their title by winning all five of their games against opposing nations, they are deemed to have recorded a ‘Grand Slam’.
England once again come in at first place for most Grand Slam victories with 13, while Wales and France sit close behind at 11 and nine respectively.
What is a triple crown?
Each year, an additional title is contested between the four Home Unions (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales).
The team that defeats each of the other three Home Unions is deemed to have won the ‘Triple Crown’.
The winner of this title is not always the Six Nations Champion in that particular year, as was seen in the 2014 Six Nations, when England won the Triple Crown, but lost the Championship to Ireland on points difference.
England has secured 25 Triple Crown titles, more than any other Home Union – their most recent coming in 2016.
How are 6 Nations fixtures decided?
Each team in the Championship plays the other five once per season, giving 15 matches in total.
Home advantages are in alternate seasons – IE. England will host France in 2017, as France hosted England the previous year.
Could new teams be added to the 6 Nations?
Over the past few years, a number of arguments have been put forward to allow different national sides to compete in the Six Nations.
Currently, the organisers of the Championship are considering a promotion-relegation system in alignment with the second-tier Rugby Europe International Championships, whereby the Six Nations’ wooden spoon recipients swap places with the second-tier winners for the following season.
This kind of system currently operates through the lower tiers of European Test rugby, with the winners of the third-tier European Trophy being promoted to the Championships.
However, no official moves have been put in place to put this action into motion.
What rule changes are there in the 6 Nations 2017?
In 2017, the Six Nations will be changing the way in which the Championship’s points system works.
For the first time, the tournament will introduce a bonus point system, in the hope of promoting attacking rugby and improving the spectacle of European rugby for spectators.
Under the old system, teams were awarded two points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss.
Now, the winning team will receive four points, with an additional point on offer for teams that score four tries or more, making five points the maximum total for each round.
A draw will earn each team two points, and an additional point will be awarded for a side that scores four or more tries.
As in the previous system, a loss will carry no score, however losing teams have the opportunity to pick up two bonus points either by losing the match within seven points of the other team, or by scoring four or more tries.
In addition, at the end of the Championship, three bonus points will be awarded if a team secures the Grand Slam, to ensure they are also Six Nations champions – mathematically, a team that wins all five games without bonus points would only have the same number of points as a team that loses one and wins four with a bonus point.
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