1
Survey reveals dread of being stuck in the pub with England fans
By Liam Heagney
A UK and Ireland survey of rugby fans ahead of this weekend’s Guinness Six Nations opening round has found that England supporters are the group they would least like to be stuck with in a pub for the matches.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 2025 tournament gets underway on Friday night when France host Wales in Paris and it continues on Saturday with Scotland welcoming Italy to Edinburgh before wrapping up round one with the meeting of Ireland and England in Dublin.
Champions in 2023 and 2024, the Irish are gunning to win an historic hat-trick of titles and ahead of the start to the 2025 edition, research of 1,001 rugby fans from the UK and Ireland – commissioned by MiXR and conducted by Censuswide between January 24-29 – has been published.
Video Player is loading.
A statement read: “Research has revealed that England supporters are the group rugby fans would least like to be stuck with in the pub during this year’s Guinness Six Nations. In a survey conducted by MiXR, more than two-fifths (43 per cent) of rugby fans named England supporters as the group they would most like to avoid when heading to their local to watch the tournament.
“While escaping them may be a priority, getting one over the Red Roses is even more important. Over half of those surveyed (55 per cent) said that England is the team they most want their nation to beat in the Six Nations, with two-thirds (67 per cent) admitting they would support another nation when they play against England.
“As for who they are cheering on themselves, it appears that choosing a team to support in this year’s Six Nations is not always straightforward. More than a quarter (25 per cent) of fans said they supported a nation they have never even visited, while over one in five (22 per cent) said their decision to back a country was based on having a grandparent or great-grandparent from there.”
MiXR conducted the survey to help launch Pub Nations, its alternative tournament giving fans the chance to represent their nation “in the true heartland of rugby – the pub”. During the tournament, the MiXR app will track the points ‘scored’ on food and drink by fans of each nation in 500 pubs.
ADVERTISEMENT
It’s time #GuinnessM6N ? pic.twitter.com/fSABdBdWVy
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) January 29, 2025
To be first in line for Rugby World Cup 2027 Australia tickets, register your interest here
Oh no, not the usual xenophobia again.
I'm Canadian and have heard stories of English fans. Here is my own story.
When I was in France for the world cup i was sitting beside some Eng fans in a pub during the France/ SA quarter final. I was chatting with these guys the whole time. Everything was fine. When France lost the game, these dudes got up and started swearing and yelling at everyone that England has to carry everyone in rugby, that they are the best, etc.
There was a table of dudes in Welsh Jerseys and these English guys started yelling at them, "What are you even doing here!? youre done. youre nothing. Wales F$%king Suck! We own you!" And then they just started chanting, "ENGLAND!" over and over again.
I have never seen anything like that. It was wild. I was actually surprised they didn't get into a fight. My girlfriend and I slipped out. Didn't want to be around for a brawl to brake out.
Quelle surprise.....said nobody ever.
Well let me tell you paddy's, jocks, Taff's, Romans and the cheese eating surrender monkeys.
We don't care much for you either.
In a pub. In a library. In a lift. On a bus. In a church. On a boat. In a plane. In your house. In someone’s else house. Pretty much anywhere actually.
Silly survey.