Six Nations 2026: Your Ultimate Guide to the Rugby Championship

The Six Nations returns this February with familiar rivalries, fresh storylines and the promise of another epic tournament. France enter the new campaign as defending champions after reclaiming the title in 2025, but England and Ireland will both believe they have the firepower to mount a serious challenge. And don't count out Scotland, Italy, or a rebounding Wales, either. From a Thursday-night opener in Paris to a potentially dramatic Saturday finale, the 2026 schedule is once again stacked with marquee clashes in iconic stadiums. ESPN is on hand to guide you through it all. Six Nations 2026 schedule, results All times in GMT ROUND ONE Thursday, Feb. 5 France vs. Ireland: Paris, 8 p.m. -- ITV Saturday, Feb. 7 Italy vs. Scotland: Rome, 2.10 p.m. -- BBC England vs. Wales: Twickenham, 4.40 p.m. -- ITV ROUND TWO Saturday, Feb. 14 Ireland vs. Italy: Dublin, 2.10 p.m. -- ITV Scotland vs. England: Edinburgh, 4.40 p.m. -- ITV Sunday, Feb. 15 Wales vs. France: Cardiff, 3.10 p.m. -- BBC ROUND THREE Saturday, Feb. 21 England vs. Ireland: Twickenham, 2.10 p.m. -- ITV Wales vs. Scotland: Cardiff, 4.40 p.m. -- BBC Sunday, Feb. 22 France vs Italy: Paris, 3.10 p.m. -- ITV ROUND FOUR Friday, March 6 Ireland vs. Wales: Dublin, 8.10 p.m. -- ITV Saturday, March 7 Scotland vs. France: Edinburgh, 2.10 p.m. -- BBC Italy vs. England: Rome, 4.40 p.m. -- ITV ROUND FIVE Saturday, March 14 Ireland vs. Scotland: Dublin, 2.10 p.m. -- ITV Wales vs. Italy: Cardiff, 4.40 p.m. -- BBC France vs England: Paris, 8.40 p.m. -- ITV How to watch and follow the games The tournament is being broadcast free-to-air across the BBC and ITV. ITV will show 10 fixtures -- including all of England's games -- while the BBC have five games in 2026. You can also watch on TV or online via BBC iPlayer or ITVX. ESPN will also be across all of the action. Who has made the Six Nations squads? The initial Six Nations squads are set to be confirmed this week. ENGLAND: TBC FRANCE: TBC IRELAND: TBC ITALY: TBC SCOTLAND: TBC What happened in 2025? France claimed their first title since 2022 last year -- despite a defeat to England in round two. A 42-27 thrashing of Ireland helped clinched their crown, with Louis Bielle-Biarrey creating Six Nations history by scoring eight tries over the tournament. Before the France defeat, Ireland previously looked like contenders having claimed the Triple Crown with wins over England, Scotland and Wales, but had to settle for third place after being leapfrogged by England. The shoots of recovery we are now seeing with Steve Borthwick's England were clear as they won all their games -- including a 68-14 romp over Wales -- after the opening-round defeat. Scotland's only two victories came against Italy and Wales, while Italy were fifth having beaten Wales in Rome. Wales, for the second year running, had to settle for the wooden spoon. Five games, five defeats. Who are the star players to look out for? France: Antoine Dupont After rupturing his ACL in the penultimate game of last year's campaign against Ireland, Dupont made his quicker-than-expected return for club side Toulouse in November. The world's best scrum-half (and arguably player) hasn't looked back since and should be raring to go for Les Bleus as they bid to win back-to-back titles. England: Immanuel Feyi-Waboso England's star winger, he broke back into the team in the November internationals and looked sharp after recovering from a shoulder injury. The 23-year-old will hope to step things up and cement his spots as one of the most dangerous wingers in the game this year. Ireland: Dan Sheehan Whether starting or coming off the bench, Sheehan is one to keep an eye on. A big, powerful hooker, Sheehan is an enforcer and plays the game beautifully, albeit in a brutal kind of way. With Ireland going through a period of transition, Sheehan is now also a senior figure who others will to when they're under pressure. Scotland: Jamie Dobie Dobie's form in the URC for Glasgow is making him hard to ignore and he'll be putting pressure on both the wing and scrum-half spots for Scotland. A versatile player, the 24-year-old already has 17 caps going into this year's tournament and will want to stamp his mark on this side more in 2026. Wales: Louis Rees-Zammit Now settling back into life in rugby following his NFL stint, there will be plenty of eyes on Rees-Zammit this year as he makes his Six Nations return. Don't expect him to turn Welsh fortunes around on his own, but his comeback will spark some much-needed life back into the game across the country. Italy: Ange Capuozzo One of the most exciting backs in the game, Italy will need Capuozzo to be at his best if they're to kick on this year. After a somewhat frustrating 2025 campaign, Italy's star players need to step up, chief among them the exciting Capuozzo. What are the different iterations of the Six Nations? Six Nations (2000-present) Five Nations (1947-1999) Home Nations (1932-1939) Five Nations (1910-1931) Home Nations (1883-1909) Which nation has won the most championships? England: 29 outright championships (10 shared championships) Wales: 28 outright championships (11 shared championships) France: 19 outright championships (eight shared championships) Ireland: 16 outright championships (nine shared championships) Scotland: 15 outright championships (nine shared championships) Italy: no championships (joined in 2000) Six Nations winners (since 2000) England and France are tied with seven Six Nations titles -- although France and Wales have the most Grand Slams (winning every game), with four each. 2025: France 2024: Ireland 2023: Ireland (grand slam) 2022: France (grand slam) 2021: Wales 2020: England 2019: Wales (grand slam) 2018: Ireland (grand slam) 2017: England 2016: England (grand slam) 2015: Ireland 2014: Ireland 2013: Wales 2012: Wales (grand slam) 2011: England 2010: France (grand slam) 2009: Ireland (grand slam) 2008: Wales (grand slam) 2007: France 2006: France 2005: Wales (grand slam) 2004: France (grand slam) 2003: England (grand slam) 2002: France (grand slam) 2001: England