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Survey reveals dread of being stuck in the pub with England fans

(Photo by Ryan Pierse/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

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.

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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.

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Maro Itoje speaks at the Men’s Six Nations launch in Rome

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    Maro Itoje speaks at the Men’s Six Nations launch in Rome

    England captain Maro Itoje spoke to the media at the official Guinness Men’s Six Nations launch event in Rome and at the Colosseum.

    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.

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    “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.

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    Comments

    4 Comments
    O
    Oh no, not him again? 28 days ago

    Oh no, not the usual xenophobia again.

    S
    SM 28 days ago

    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.

    M
    Mark 28 days ago

    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.

    B
    Bull Shark 28 days ago

    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.

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    Comments on RugbyPass

    R
    RedWarriors 15 minutes ago
    The Springbok selection experiment is far from over

    SA and NZ were the main countries “Whining” about the draw that put SA/NZ/IRE/FRA all on the same side of the draw. Ireland, France and Scotland are well used to it. Most countries have come face to face with the biased draw and scheduling many times since the RWC was inaugurated in 1987.

    Everyone agreed the draw was a farce , but yes someone had to pox their way through and that was SA. You get to play a France team in the QF before they have a knock out win under their belt. You won as the inferior team, the world saw that. If the draw had been harder for SA and you were scheduled to play Scotland the week before then you were out.

    England were stronger for most of the match with a 9 point lead with 10 to go. They will be massively disapointed to lose from there especially with the non peanalty awarded at the end.

    Lastly, you needed a red card to beat NZ. 100%. Not in doubt. It was a 1 point game. You were losing without the red.

    SA beat what was in front of them. Not in doubt. That they were lucky is not in doubt either. That the draw made the win significantly easier for SA to get past the QF, is not in doubt either. You play France in the SF or final, you are losing badly.

    So well done on teh wins. But less stop with the ‘Are SA the greatest team in history” rubbish.

    ‘Butt hurt’? Thats an Americanism to imply homosexuality? On about raping women now lobbing homophobic comments. Some of you Saffers, past and present have a very very disturbing attitude…historically and present day.

    54 Go to comments
    N
    NB 2 hours ago
    Have England suddenly become a 'lucky' team?

    I think you need to look at some examples in order to get your facts straight.


    If you look at the second gif in the article https://imgur.com/a/6QNcVtB#NG27wFf , you can see that Scotland are running the shape I describe, and the ‘flat option’ does not actively impede a tackler so has no need to retreat.


    Ditto this one https://imgur.com/a/hNktXel#gbQSsT4 . There is no significant contact with a defender by the flat option, so why does it need to [over-]refereed?


    I feel you’re trying to address an issue that exists mostly in your own imagination, not one that exists out on the field of play.

    83 Go to comments
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