Six Nations History

Delve into the history of the Six Nations here at RugbyPass. Whether you’re a life-long rugby fan, a casual viewer or a complete rugby novice, our Six Nations history page is the perfect way to enhance your knowledge. Take a deep dive into every tournament with our year-by-year Six Nations guides below.

Five Nations Rugby and the Home Nations Championship

Widely regarded as one of the best tournaments in the rugby calendar, the Six Nations is also the oldest rugby competition in the world. In fact, the history of the Six Nations dates all the way back to 1883, when England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales formed the Home Nations Championship.

As rugby became more popular, the tournament grew and welcomed teams from overseas. The first expansion in Six Nations history occurred in 1910, with the addition of France. As a result, the competition was renamed as the Five Nations Championship. The second rebrand took place in 2000, when Italy joined the formidable line-up.

History of the Six Nations

The Six Nations brings together the six greatest rugby sides in the northern hemisphere: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. This current format has existed since 2000 and the competition is contested every year.

In addition to line-up alterations, the tournament has undergone a number of sponsorship changes. Today, the Six Nations has become better known as the Guinness Six Nations. This is thanks to a sponsorship deal that saw Guinness sign as the title sponsor from 2019 to 2024.