Six Nations 2026: France Seeks to Retain Title Against Stiff Competition

The 2026 Men's Six Nations is set to kick off, with France aiming to retain their title against a strong field of competitors, including England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Italy. France's title win in 2025 was marked by a remarkable recovery from a round two defeat to England, culminating in a 42-27 thrashing of Ireland in Dublin. The team's blistering wing, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, made history by scoring eight tries in the championship and was named Player of the Tournament. Despite the absence of talisman Antoine Dupont due to an ACL knee injury, France lifted the trophy with a 35-16 victory over Scotland in Paris. Ireland, who won the first three fixtures of the 2025 campaign, including a win over England, Scotland, and Wales to claim the Triple Crown, ultimately fell short of their goal of a third consecutive Six Nations title after a heavy home defeat to France. Wales, on the other hand, finished with the Wooden Spoon for the second consecutive year, having lost all five fixtures in 2025. Italy secured a fifth-place finish, with their only win coming against Wales in Rome, while Scotland finished fourth after suffering three defeats in five fixtures. England, despite an indifferent performance in 2025, managed to leapfrog Ireland and finish second in the standings, with a resounding 68-14 win over Wales in Cardiff. The team, led by captain Maro Itoje, will look to claim the title in 2026, with their last championship win coming in 2020 and their last Grand Slam success in 2016 under Eddie Jones. A Grand Slam is achieved when a team beats all other competitors in a single campaign, a feat that has been accomplished 42 times in the history of the Five/Six Nations, with Ireland being the last team to do so in 2023. The Triple Crown, which is contested between the Home Nations of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, is secured by a team that beats the other three teams in the same tournament, with Ireland winning it last year. The Calcutta Cup, awarded to the winner of the annual England vs Scotland match, is the oldest trophy contested between two international rugby sides, with England having won it 83 times and Scotland 48. Scotland will bid to reclaim the Calcutta Cup in 2026 when they host England at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on Saturday, February 14.