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Friday night games binned as 2023 Six Nations fixtures confirmed
By Kim Ekin
Guinness Six Nations officials have pulled the plug for now on Friday night fixtures as the 2023 championship will see all 15 games played on a Saturday or a Sunday. Wales hosted France in Cardiff on a Friday night last month and the match failed to attract a capacity crowd to the Principality Stadium, something that wasn’t a good look for the tournament that calls itself ‘Rugby’s Greatest Championship’.
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With Friday nights off-limits, the Six Nations will kick off on February 4 at the Principality when Wales will host Ireland, who this year took the Triple Crown. On the same day, Scotland travel to Twickenham to take on England and will be looking to retain the Calcutta Cup. The first round of fixtures finishes with Italy welcoming champions France to Rome on Sunday, February 5.
Round two starts with Ireland, who finished second in this year’s championship, taking on France in Dublin on February 11. Round three sees the age-old Anglo-Welsh rivalry played out in Cardiff when Wales host England in a clash that has delivered incredible drama over the years.
Wales then head to Rome to play Italy in round four on the same March 11 Saturday that England host France in London, and Super Saturday gets underway on March 18 with Scotland playing Italy in Edinburgh before the action shifts to Paris for France versus Wales. The final game of the Saint Patrick’s Day weekend is fittingly in Dublin, with Ireland hosting England.
Six Nations CEO Ben Morel said: “The 2022 championship ended in one of the most exciting Super Saturdays in history with an incredible performance by Italy, a Triple Crown win for Ireland and a long-awaited Grand Slam for France.
Hands up who is excited! ???????? #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/CyOPfHjuqh
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) April 20, 2022
“Once again, fans had to wait until the final game was played to know who this year’s champions would be and the rugby action did not disappoint. The combination of incredible broadcast coverage of the championship and the eagerly anticipated return of fans at games meant that this year’s Guinness Six Nations felt truly special.”
“As we look ahead to the 2023 Guinness Six Nations, there are so many storylines that will play out across the five rounds of fixtures. This is a huge part of what makes the championship so unique and what continues to captivate the imagination of audiences and fans around the world.”
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