REPORT: Six Nations set to make huge format change

The regular format of the Six Nations, has two matches take place on the Saturday of a weekend, with the third match playing out on the Sunday. However, some matches do take place on a Friday night, often to commence the competition on Round One.

This system runs for the first four rounds of the annual tournament, with "Super Saturday" taking place on the fifth and final round as all teams compete on Saturday. However, leading names within the Six Nations decision makers have expressed the potential to axe Sunday Six Nations fixtures all together.

It was reported that in the 2024 Guinness Six Nations, the seven most-watched fixtures all took place on a Saturday. The Friday night opening contest between France and eventual champions Ireland ranked in at eighth place. The three matches that brought in the lowest audience figures from across TV viewership all took place on a Sunday, these matches were; Wales vs France (Cardiff), Ireland vs Italy (Dublin) and France vs Italy (Lille).

It is understood that this concept has only so far been considered for the men's game, with the Women's Six Nations being treated as a separate competition in regards to the 'Super Saturday' overhaul. The 2024 Guinness Six Nations kicked off on a Friday night, as Ireland handed France a 38-17 hammering on home soil.

The first match of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations is set to commence on a Friday night, with France taking on Wales on January 31st. The competition is pencilled in to remain unchanged for the next season, with the tournament coming to a close on Super Saturday, that will take place on March 15th 2025.

RUCK Editor Steve Smith, however, has voiced his disapproval of the proposal. "Personally, I absolutely hate this idea. Watching three games in one day will be too much for a number of fans. Friday night kick-offs are bad enough," he said.

The tournament commences on Friday, 31 January, with France hosting Wales in Paris, with kick-off at 9:15 pm local time. This hasn't gone down well with fans.

One fan wrote: "Rugby is already declining in Wales and now children won't be able to watch their first game. Bad idea,"

A second said: "Getting to the Stade de France at the best of time is hard. Getting back after a 9:15 kick-off time will be a nightmare,"

Another simply stated: "Who's f***ing s*** idea was this?"

England will play the following day, as Scotland takes on Italy at Murrayfield, as announced by tournament organisers.

As per this year, the 2025 Championship will see BBC and ITV sharing coverage in the UK, with S4C offering Welsh language options. France Television will be the home of the Championship for French fans, RTE and Virgin Media will once again cover the games in Ireland. In Italy, Sky Italia will continue their coverage of the Championship in 2025. The host broadcast coverage will also be complemented by widespread international broadcast coverage and a World Feed service.

Groundbreaking AI technology has unveiled its jaw-dropping forecasts for the next two decades of Six Nations glory, and the results are nothing short of mind-blowing.

According to the cutting-edge predictions, England is poised to clinch victory in a staggering five out of the next 20 tournaments, while Scotland is primed for a historic triumph, marking their first title since their Five Nations conquest in 1999.

However, the road ahead seems daunting for Wales, as the AI oracle forecasts a prolonged wait until 2041 for their next taste of Six Nations glory.

Meanwhile, traditional powerhouses such as England, Ireland, and France are slated to dominate the competition, casting a shadow over Welsh aspirations.

Check out the next 20 Six Nations winner's below.

2025: France

2026: Ireland

2027: England

2028: England

2029: Scotland

2030: France

2031: Ireland

2032: England

2033: Ireland

2034: France

2035: Ireland

2036: England

2037: Scotland

2038: France

2039: Ireland

2040: England

2041: Wales

2042: France

2043: Ireland