The 6 Nations Championship is the rugby union championship for the six European "superpower" teams; England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Italy and France. This event has been held almost every year since its inception in 1883, first as the Home Nation Championship, then as the Five Nations, and since 2000, the Six Nations.
The format is quite simple; each team plays the other teams once, with the home field advantage alternating each year between the teams.
One thing that makes the Six Nations Championship so interesting is the number of secondary cups being contested at the same time; there are numerous opportunities to win bragging rights, and in many cases, the grudge matches these contests have engendered go back for generations.
The winner of the Six Nations is presented with a large sterling silver cup with a detachable finial that allows the current champions affix their own team emblem to the top of the cup. The cup is plated on the inside with gold to protect it from the corrosive effects of alcohol; with a 3.75 litre capacity, it can hold 5 bottles of celebratory champagne.
If a team wins all of the matches, they achieve a Grand Slam, which most recently was done by France in 1998.
The Triple Crown is a competition between England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland. If any of those countries should beat all the others during the course of the championship, then they will win this award which is a large silver dish.
The Calcutta Cup is another competition held within the Six Nations Championship; it is a rivalry between England and Scotland dating back to 1879, and the winner of their match is awarded this cup which was fashioned from melted down Indian Rupees. The team that finishes at the bottom at the end of the championship is said to have won the Wooden Spoon.
The 6 Nations Championship is a championship like no other.
Twickenham Stadium
Rugby Road / Whitton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 1DZ
Telephone: 0870 405 2000
Email www.rfu.com
Photo courtesy: bixentro
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