We’ve witnessed numerous thrilling Six Nations encounters over the past two decades. Who can forget Italy breaking their Six Nations duck in 2000 in their very first Championship match-up?
The Azzurri had been written off as no-hopers before the start of the 2000 campaign. However, the rank outsiders shocked holders Scotland at the Stadio Olimpico with a stunning 34-20 victory spearheaded by Diego Dominguez's boot. Italy would lose all their remaining Six Nations games in 2000, but that Scottish victory had given them a foundation to build on for forthcoming campaigns.
Ireland vs England’s epic winner-takes-all Six Nations encounter in 2003 also had rugby fans purring. Going into the final round of matches, both Ireland and England had won all four of their games, meaning it was all to play for when the sides locked horns at Lansdowne Road in Dublin. It was a one-sided clash, with England dominating and winning 42-6. The Grand Slam winners maintained their impressive form, and they went on to win the World Cup in Australia in 2003.
Getty Images England looked to be on the way to another routine Six Nations success when cruising to a 31-0 lead after just 29 minutes of their 2019 tie with Scotland at Twickenham. Cue one of the best comebacks in Six Nations and rugby history. Scotland rallied to the cause phenomenally, running in five unanswered tries to take a 38-31 lead. There was to be a further twist in the tale, though, as George Ford went over with time running out to grab a draw for the hosts.
Rugby fans are now eagerly awaiting the start of the 2025 Six Nations. There’s an angle or story to every one of the 15 matches in store, and we will surely experience one-sided romps, jaw-dropping shocks and nail-biting thrillers over the coming weeks.
Let GOAL show you the full 2025 Six Nations schedule and how you can watch or stream every one of the 15 matches during the Championship.
When does the Six Nations 2025 take place?
The Six Nations 2025 runs this year from Friday, January 31, until Saturday, March 15, with 15 games taking place across five rounds/weekends. There are three games per round, with all teams playing during each and every round.
The tournament is played in a league format, with every side playing each other. At the end of the competition, the team at the top of the table wins the Six Nations. The Grand Slam is achieved if one side wins all five matches during the tournament, as Ireland did in 2023.
Six Nations 2025 schedule
| Round | Date | Match | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday, January 31 | France vs Wales | 9:15 pm (CET) / 8.15 pm (GMT) |
| Saturday, February 1 | Scotland vs Italy | 2:15 pm (GMT) / 3.15 pm (CET) | |
| Saturday, February 1 | Ireland vs England | 4:45 pm (GMT) / 5.45 pm (CET) | |
| 2 | Saturday, February 8 | Italy vs Wales | 3:15 pm (CET) / 2.15 pm (GMT) |
| Saturday, February 8 | England vs France | 4:45 pm (GMT) / 5.45 pm (CET) | |
| Sunday, February 9 | Scotland vs Ireland | 3 pm (GMT) / 4 pm (CET) | |
| 3 | Saturday, February 22 | Wales vs Ireland | 2:15 pm (GMT) / 3.15 pm (CET) |
| Saturday, February 22 | England vs Scotland | 4:45 pm (GMT) / 5.45 pm (CET) | |
| Sunday, February 23 | Italy vs France | 4 pm (CET) / 3 pm (GMT) | |
| 4 | Saturday, March 8 | Ireland vs France | 2:15 pm (GMT) / 3.15 pm (CET) |
| Saturday, March 8 | Scotland vs Wales | 4:45 pm (GMT) / 5.45 pm (CET) | |
| Sunday, March 9 | England vs Italy | 3 pm (GMT) / 4 pm (CET) | |
| 5 | Saturday, March 15 | Italy vs Ireland | 3:15 pm (CET) / 2.15 pm (GMT) |
| Saturday, March 15 | Wales vs England | 4:45 pm (GMT) / 5.45 pm (CET) | |
| Saturday, March 15 | France vs Scotland | 9 pm (CET) / 8 pm (GMT) |
How to watch the Six Nations 2025
In many parts of the world, you can watch the Six Nations free of charge. That’s because the Six Nations has been afforded protected status in the countries it plays, meaning it’s shown free-to-air on public broadcasters. Whether it will remain as such is currently unclear, but extensive free coverage for the 2025 Six Nations is still available.
| Country | Network & Streaming |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | BBC / ITV / BBC iPlayer / ITVX |
| Ireland | RTE / Virgin Media / RTE Player / Virgin Media Play |
| France | France Télévisions / FranceTV streaming |
| Italy | Sky Sport / TV8 |
| United States | NBC / Peacock / FuboTV |
| Australia | Stan Sport |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport NZ |
| South Africa | SuperSport |
How to watch the Six Nations 2025 with a VPN
If Six Nations matches aren't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection to bypass geographical restrictions and access your favourite streaming services from anywhere. We recommend NordVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
Six Nations Championship head-to-heads
The Six Nations (formerly the Five Nations Championship) was renamed in 2000, with Italy joining the European tournament in that year. Here are the following head-to-head match-up stats since 2000.
| vs. Eng | v.s Fra | v.s Ire | vs Ita | vs Sco | vs Wal | Total Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | - | W14-L11-D0 | W11-L14-D0 | W25-L0-D0 | W15-L8-D2 | W17-L8-D0 | W82-L41-D2 |
| France | W11-L14-D0 | - | W12-L11-D2 | W22-L2-D1 | W20-L5-D0 | W15-L10-D0 | W80-L42-D3 |
| Ireland | W14-L11-D0 | W11-L12-D2 | - | W24-L1-D0 | W21-L4-D0 | W15-L9-D1 | W85-L37-D3 |
| Italy | W0-L25-D0 | W2-L22-D1 | W1-L24-D0 | - | W8-L17-D0 | W4-L20-D1 | W15-L108-D2 |
| Scotland | W8-L15-D2 | W5-L20-D0 | W4-L21-D0 | W17-L8-D0 | W7-L17-D1 | W41-L81-D3 | |
| Wales | W8-L17-D0 | W10-L15-D0 | W9-L15-D1 | W20-L4-D1 | W17-L7-D1 | W64-L58-D3 |
Six Nations Championship and other tournament trophies
Aside from the main Championship crown, there are other trophies or titles up for grabs during the course of the Six Nations campaign, as explained below:
| Title/Trophy | Awarded to |
|---|---|
| Grand Slam | A team that wins all its games |
| Triple Crown | A home nation team that wins all games against the other home nations |
| Calcutta Cup | The winner of the England v Scotland match-up |
| Millennium Trophy | The winner of the England v Ireland match-up |
| Centenary Quaich | The winner of the Scotland v Ireland match-up |
| Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy | The winner of the France v Italy match-up |
| Auld Alliance Trophy | The winner of the France v Scotland match-up |
| Doddie Weir Cup | The winner of the Wales v Scotland match-up |
| Cuttitta Cup | The winner of the Italy v Scotland match-up |