Six Nations fixtures 2023

[Rossm]

(all times GMT)

Saturday 4 February

Wales v Ireland (14:15)

England v Scotland (16:45)

Sunday 5 February

Italy v France (15:00)

Saturday 11 February

Ireland v France (14:15)

Scotland v Wales (16:45)

Sunday 12 February

England v Italy (15:00)

Saturday 25 February

Italy v Ireland (14:15)

Wales v England (16:45)

Sunday 26 February

France v Scotland (15:00)

Saturday 11 March

Italy v Wales (14:15)

England v France (16:45)

Sunday 12 March

Scotland v Ireland (15:00)

Saturday 18 March

Scotland v Italy (12:30)

France v Wales (14:45)

Ireland v England (17:00)

[Neils]

I wonder how many broken Wasps players that lot amounts to.

[Heathen]

I wonder how many broken Wasps players that lot amounts to.

+1

[Marlow Nick]

I wonder how many broken Wasps players that lot amounts to.

Very few. Eddie likes to break our players in training camp or leave them gathering splinters on the bench. He doesn't like rewarding them with caps. 👎

[mike909]

Just looking at the schedule and England, it suggests a lot of pressure on England to win vs Scotland. A team that probably wants to meet us early in the tournament and have managed to be a bit of a problem if the breakdown is reffed per the Laws.

But the pressure comes from Wales (a), France (h), and Ireland (a), after Italy....easily 0-3......

[hopwood]

Is there a reason we get to play the same teams at the same time every two years?

Have we ever played Scotland last?
France or Wales first?

It just seems very formulaic. Year after year.

Probably TV companies, but I don’t see why England command greater prominence when their rugby is quite often the most boring.
If the fixtures are constantly repeated, then some fans will fade away.

[Shugs]

Agreed.

[hopwood]

Does anyone on here think any of the following ideas would improve their experience and excitement around future Six Nations tournaments.

1) South Africa joining
2) Italy being relegated and a team like Georgia stepping up
3) A step back to 5 Nations, allowing Italy to compete in a 2nd Tier European comp. Allowing our players a bit more recovery in a season.
4) A draw each year to see who plays who and when
5) Winners play against Southern Hemisphere champions
6) Leave it alone, it’s absolutely fine.

[Trevs Big Tackle]

It seems some arrangement has been made so Ireland play England every Paddy's Day weekend. The order we face the rest of the teams seems very similar every year.

[DGP Wasp]

Does anyone on here think any of the following ideas would improve their experience and excitement around future Six Nations tournaments.

1) South Africa joining
2) Italy being relegated and a team like Georgia stepping up
3) A step back to 5 Nations, allowing Italy to compete in a 2nd Tier European comp. Allowing our players a bit more recovery in a season.
4) A draw each year to see who plays who and when
5) Winners play against Southern Hemisphere champions
6) Leave it alone, it’s absolutely fine.

1) Not opposed, and increasingly inevitable.
2) Yearly promotion and relegation would certainly liven things up.  Italy's win against Wales was probably timely in shutting that debate down for the time being at least.
3) Very sensible.  Never going to happen!
4) Sounds fair.
5) Not fussed.
6) Works for me, but I think some major tinkering is just around the corner, and will probably incorporate the worst of the ideas above.

[Rifleman Harris]

Does anyone on here think any of the following ideas would improve their experience and excitement around future Six Nations tournaments.

1) South Africa joining
2) Italy being relegated and a team like Georgia stepping up
3) A step back to 5 Nations, allowing Italy to compete in a 2nd Tier European comp. Allowing our players a bit more recovery in a season.
4) A draw each year to see who plays who and when
5) Winners play against Southern Hemisphere champions
6) Leave it alone, it’s absolutely fine.

I think adding South Africa dilutes the competition greatly.  I think there should be more movement between the second tier teams but that would need to be thought through carefully! Chucking Italy out doesn't really expand the game so I think a less capable team or 2 is needed to widen the appeal.

I think there should be a draw each year as it becomes a bit too predictable.  Scotland got themselves up for the England game then fell away, how different would it have been if they were building up to the England team throughout the tournament.  I don't think playing England first helps them much at all.  I also like the idea of playing the Southern Hemisphere champions.  Maybe that could be included in the Autumn internationals...or alternate home and away each year?

[Neils]

Does anyone on here think any of the following ideas would improve their experience and excitement around future Six Nations tournaments.

1) South Africa joining
2) Italy being relegated and a team like Georgia stepping up
3) A step back to 5 Nations, allowing Italy to compete in a 2nd Tier European comp. Allowing our players a bit more recovery in a season.
4) A draw each year to see who plays who and when
5) Winners play against Southern Hemisphere champions
6) Leave it alone, it’s absolutely fine.

1) No thank you. Too much travel in the middle of a season. URC teams travel south generally for two games over two full weeks to acclimatise.
2) Might spice things up but so far Italy seem to be slowly improving and as far as I can recall have the Georgians number.
3) Sensible but won't happen. Italy have a CVC share.
4) Hmm the agreement is two alternate home and three away games per season (and v/v) so you could juggle the country sequence but not the actual match ups.
5) Who cares.
6) Probably.

[Shugs]

Does anyone on here think any of the following ideas would improve their experience and excitement around future Six Nations tournaments.

1) South Africa joining
2) Italy being relegated and a team like Georgia stepping up
3) A step back to 5 Nations, allowing Italy to compete in a 2nd Tier European comp. Allowing our players a bit more recovery in a season.
4) A draw each year to see who plays who and when
5) Winners play against Southern Hemisphere champions
6) Leave it alone, it’s absolutely fine.

All feasible. My own preference is to not play it concurrently with the Premiership and ditch the Prem Cup to re-balance player workload.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

Does anyone on here think any of the following ideas would improve their experience and excitement around future Six Nations tournaments.

1) South Africa joining
2) Italy being relegated and a team like Georgia stepping up
3) A step back to 5 Nations, allowing Italy to compete in a 2nd Tier European comp. Allowing our players a bit more recovery in a season.
4) A draw each year to see who plays who and when
5) Winners play against Southern Hemisphere champions
6) Leave it alone, it’s absolutely fine.

All feasible. My own preference is to not play it concurrently with the Premiership and ditch the Prem Cup to re-balance player workload.

A restart the A league or something similar. 

[Shugs]

Yes, possibly a bit less formal than a league but a vehicle to get games for those that need it when two teams agree.