France, the current tournament champion, will face Ireland in the opening match of the 2026 Six Nations edition, the organization has confirmed. The tournament will kick off on a Thursday evening, a significant change in the schedule.
The match between France and Ireland will mark the start of the competition on February 5. England will host Wales at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on Saturday, February 7, while Scotland will travel to Italy on the same day.
The decision to start the tournament on a Thursday for the first time in its history aims to avoid coinciding with the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan, which will be held on Friday evening.
The championship, which will feature the participation of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, will take place from February 5 to March 14. The final day, March 14, will be a “Super Saturday”, with Ireland hosting Scotland, Italy facing Wales and France welcoming England.
France were crowned Six Nations champions for the seventh time, following their victory over Scotland in March, securing the title for the first time since 2022.
The fourth matchday, the weekend before the final, will see Ireland face Wales, England face Italy, and Scotland face France.
Match Schedule:
First day
- Thursday, February 5: France vs Ireland
- Saturday, February 7: Italy vs Scotland, England vs Wales
Second day
- Saturday, February 14: Ireland vs Italy, Scotland vs England
- Sunday, February 15: Wales vs France
Third day
- Saturday, February 21: England vs Ireland, Wales vs Scotland
- Sunday, February 22: France vs Italy
Fourth day
- Friday, March 6: Ireland vs Wales
- Saturday, March 7: Scotland vs France, Italy vs England
Fifth matchday
- Saturday, March 14: Ireland vs Scotland, Wales vs Italy, France vs England
