Six Nations Championship

The Six Nations Championship is the premiere northern-hemisphere international Rugby union competition, competed for annually by teams from Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, and Italy. Each team plays each other team once only, with home advantage alternating annually.

The Championship actually comprises several mini-competitions in one. The overall winner of the competition become the Six Nations Champions. The England versus Scotland game also decides the winner of the Calcutta Cup. England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales - the so-called "Home Nations" - compete for the Triple Crown, which can only be won by a team beating the three other teams. Finally, to win the Grand Slam, a team must remain undefeated in all of it's five games.

History

The competition began as the Home International Championship in 1883, competed for by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. France joined the competition in 1910, when it became known as the Five Nations. Italy were admitted in 2000, when the competition became the Six Nations Championship.

Ireland are the most recent winners, defeating Wales 17-15 in the Millennium Stadium in a cliffhanger game on 21st March, 2009, to take their first Grand Slam win in 61 years.