How the Six Nations Works: New Format Change Confirmed

Saturday, 07 February 2026 at 11:27

byRugby Rucker

The Six Nations Championship returns every year with huge crowds, packed stadiums and a title race that often goes down to the final weekend.

But how exactly is the Six Nations decided, what is the points system, and how do bonus points and the Grand Slam work?

Watch the Guinness Six Nations at your local Greene King sports pub.

This is a full breakdown of how the Six Nations works, including how teams earn points and where every match is played.

How does the Six Nations work?

The Six Nations is played in a round-robin format, with each team facing the other five once during the tournament.

The competing nations are:

England
France
Ireland
Italy
Scotland
Wales

Each team plays five matches — either three home games and two away, or two home games and three away — across five rounds.

Six Nations points system explained

Teams earn points based on match results, which determine the final standings.

Win: 4 points
Draw: 2 points
Loss: 0 points

Bonus points in the Six Nations

Bonus points can be crucial in the title race:

1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match
1 bonus point for losing by seven points or fewer

Grand Slam bonus points

If a team wins all five of its matches, it completes a Grand Slam and is awarded three additional bonus points, ensuring they finish top of the table and are crowned Six Nations champions.

How is the Six Nations winner decided?

The team with the highest total points after five rounds wins the championship.

If teams finish level on points, the following tie-breakers are used:

Points difference
Tries scored
Head-to-head result
Shared title (if still level)

What are the Six Nations venues?

Each nation hosts its home matches at a designated national stadium.

England: Allianz Stadium – Capacity 82,000

France:
- Stade de France – Capacity 81,338
- Stade Pierre Mauroy – Capacity 50,186

Wales: Principality Stadium – Capacity 73,931

Italy: Stadio Olimpico – Capacity 70,364

Scotland: Murrayfield Stadium – Capacity 67,144

Ireland: Aviva Stadium – Capacity 51,700

Six Nations to be played over six weeks for first time in 2026

The Six Nations Championship will be played over six weeks for the first time in 2026, following a confirmed format tweak by organisers. One scheduled rest week has been removed, reducing the overall length of the tournament from seven weeks to six.

The change means a more compact schedule, with fewer breaks between rounds, increasing intensity for players while keeping momentum high for fans and broadcasters.

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Guinness Men’s Six Nations 2026 Match Officials Confirmed

This guide provides the full Men’s Six Nations 2026 fixtures, including venues, dates, and the complete list of match officials for each game.

Round 1 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

France vs Ireland
Stade de France, Paris – Thursday, 5 February 2026

Referee: –
Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Angus Gardner (RA)
TMO: Jordan Way (RA)
FPRO: Richard Kelly (NZR)

Italy vs Scotland
Stadio Olimpico, Rome – Saturday, 7 February 2026

Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (NZR)
Assistant Referee 1: James Doleman (NZR)
Assistant Referee 2: Katsuki Furuse (JRFU)
TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
FPRO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)

England vs Wales referee
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham – Saturday, 7 February 2026

Referee: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Morné Ferreira (SARU)
TMO: Tual Trainini (FFR)
FPRO: Brett Cronan (RA)

Round 2 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

Ireland vs Italy
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – Saturday, 14 February 2026

Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Luc Ramos (FFR)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Tual Trainini (FFR)

Scotland vs England
Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh – Saturday, 14 February 2026

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant Referee 2: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Wales vs France
Principality Stadium, Cardiff – Sunday, 15 February 2026

Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
Assistant Referee 1: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
FPRO: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Round 3 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

England vs Ireland
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham – Saturday, 21 February 2026

Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant Referee 1: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
Assistant Referee 2: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
FPRO: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Wales vs Scotland
Principality Stadium, Cardiff – Saturday, 21 February 2026

Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Leal (RFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

France vs Italy
Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille – Sunday, 22 February 2026

Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
FPRO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Round 4 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

Ireland vs Wales
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – Friday, 6 March 2026

Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 2: Damian Schneider (UAR)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FPRO: Tual Trainini (FFR)

Scotland vs France
Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh – Saturday, 7 March 2026

Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
FPRO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)

Italy vs England
Stadio Olimpico, Rome – Saturday, 7 March 2026

Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)
Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
FPRO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Round 5 Fixtures – Six Nations 2026

Ireland vs Scotland
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – Saturday, 14 March 2026

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Damian Schneider (UAR)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FPRO: Ian Tempest (RFU)

Wales vs Italy
Principality Stadium, Cardiff – Saturday, 14 March 2026

Referee: Christophe Ridley (FFR)
Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

France vs England
Stade de France, Paris – Saturday, 14 March 2026

Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 2: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Quiz: Name these 10 retro rugby players

From jaw-dropping tries to unforgettable moments (and yes, some questionable haircuts), these players defined a golden era of the game. If their names don’t instantly come to mind, we suggest a quick trip to YouTube to jog your memory. Trust us, it’s worth it.

Ready to test your knowledge? Let’s see if you’ve still got it. Good luck!