Six Nations 2023 schedule, results, standings, format of rugby union tournament

Jonathan Burnett

Six Nations 2023 schedule, results, standings, format of rugby union tournament image

Arguably the greatest championship in international rugby ended in a thrilling final weekend.

England's heaviest ever defeat at Twickenham, thanks to a sensational performance from France, meant the title was still up for grabs: either Les Bleus or Ireland would emerge as champions on Saturday.

France overcame Wales in impressive style but it was Ireland who claimed a first title since 2018, and the Grand Slam and Triple Crown to boot, after overcoming 14-man England in Dublin.

As always, the tournament has provided five weeks of fierce competition and kicking off what is set to be a jam-packed year of elite international rugby that will culminate in the World Cup final at the Stade de France in late October.

This was the 24th edition of the modern Six Nations championship, which began in 2000 after Italy joined the old Five Nations. The tournament's roots date all the way back to 1883, when England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales contested the first Home Nations Championship.

For everything you need to know about the Six Nations championship, here at The Sporting News, we've got you covered.

Six Nations 2023 schedule, results

Week 1

Date Match Time (GMT) Time (ET) Result
Feb. 4 Wales vs Ireland 14:15 09:15 WAL 10-34 IRE
Feb. 4 England vs Scotland 16:45 11:45 ENG 23-29 SCO
Feb. 5 Italy vs France 15:00 10:00 ITA 24-29 FRA

Week 2

Date Match Time (GMT) Time (ET) Result
Feb. 11 Ireland vs France 14:15 09:15 IRE 32-19 FRA
Feb. 11 Scotland vs Wales 16:45 11:45 SCO 35-7 WAL
Feb. 12 England vs Italy 15:00 10:00 ENG 31-14 ITA

Week 3

Date Match Time (GMT) Time (ET) Result
Feb. 25 Italy vs Ireland 14:15 09:15 ITA 20-34 IRE
Feb. 25 Wales vs England 16:45 11:45 WAL 10-20 ENG
Feb. 26 France vs Scotland 15:00 10:00 FRA 32-21 SCO

Week 4

Date Match Time (GMT) Time (ET) Result
March 11 Italy vs Wales 14:15 09:15 ITA 17-29 WAL
March 11 England vs France 16:45 11:45 ENG 10-53 FRA
March 12 Scotland vs Ireland 15:00 10:00 SCO 7-22 IRE

Week 5

Date Match Time (GMT) Time (ET) Result
March 18 Scotland vs Italy 12:30 07:30 SCO 26-14 ITA
March 18 France vs Wales 14:45 09:45 FRA 41-28 WAL
March 18 Ireland vs England 17:00 12:00 IRE 29-16 ENG

Six Nations 2023 final standings

Place Team Points Played Points
Difference
1 Ireland 27 5 79
2 France 20 5 59
3 Scotland 15 5 20
4 England 10 5 -35
5 Wales 6 5 -63
6 Italy 1 5 -60

What time are Six Nations 2023 matches?

The 2023 Six Nations matches kick off in three different time slots for the first four weeks: 14:15 and 16:45 GMT on Saturdays, and 15:00 GMT on Sundays.

In the final week, all three games take place on Saturday, March 18. The kick-off times are 12:30, 14:45 and 17:00 GMT.

How to watch Six Nations 2023: TV channel, live stream

  TV channel Streaming
USA fuboTV, Peacock
Canada

DAZN

UK BBC, ITV, S4C BBC iPlayer, ITVX
Australia Stan Sport
New Zealand Sky Sport NOW
India Premier Sports Asia
Hong Kong Premier Sports Asia
Malaysia Premier Sports Asia
Singapore Premier Sports Asia

USA: All games are streaming live on Peacock and will also be available through fuboTV. However, they will also be repeated on CNBC on delay, usually by a couple of hours. 

Canada: All games are streaming live on DAZN.

UK: Matches will be shown on BBC and ITV, with S4C also broadcasting in Wales.

Australia: Six Nations coverage is provided by Stan Sport.

India: Premier Sports Asia is the main place to watch the Six Nations.

What is the Six Nations 2023 scoring system? 

Four points are awarded for each win, two for a draw, and zero for a loss — but there are some bonus points up for grabs.

If a team scores four tries or more in a game, they will be awarded a bonus point. Additionally, losing teams are awarded a bonus point if their margin of defeat is seven points or fewer. 

This means a winning team could take home either four or five points, while a losing team could earn zero, one or two.

What is a Grand Slam in Six Nations?

There is another means of getting some bonus points on the board. If a team wins all five of their matches, thereby completing what is known as a 'Grand Slam', then they are awarded three extra points. This has been achieved in 12 of the previous 22 editions of the Six Nations. 

In 2022, France finished top of the standings on 25 points, having won all of their matches and earned five bonus points by achieving the Grand Slam and via try-scoring reward system.

Six Nations 2023 betting odds, favourites 

Sky Bet, Caesars and Sports Interaction had Ireland, the world No.1 Test side, as their favourites to take home the Six Nations title before the action kicked off. Defending champions France were second-favourites.

Ireland were most heavily favoured by Sky Bet to win the Triple Crown and/or the Grand Slam, being backed at 5/4 to beat the other three Home Nations, and 3/1 to win all five of their games.

Odds correct as of early February

Winner Sky Bet (UK) Caesars (US) Sports Interaction (Canada)
Ireland 11/8 +130 2.29
France 6/4 +150 2.57
England 9/2 +450 4.75
Wales 12/1 +1600 12.00
Scotland 20/1 +2000 19.75
Italy 500/1 +50000 486.00

Six Nations rivalries, trophies, Triple Crown explained

For England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, a Triple Crown is achieved by winning all three of their games against the other so-called 'home nations'.

There are also six individual rivalry trophies up for grabs each year, contested between the following teams: 

Calcutta Cup: England vs Scotland

Millennium Trophy: England vs Ireland

Centenary Quaich: Scotland vs Ireland

Guiseppe Garibaldi Trophy: France vs Italy

Auld Alliance Trophy: Scotland vs France

Doddie Weir Cup: Scotland vs Wales

Cuttitta Cup: Scotland vs Italy

Who has won the most Six Nations championships?

Including the Home Nations, Five Nations and Six Nations championships, England have won the most titles overall.

They have won the tournament 29 times (with a further 10 shared titles), ahead of Wales (28 wins, 11 shared titles).

In the Six Nations era, England are the most successful side with seven trophies, just ahead of Wales and France on six. Ireland have won five Six Nations championships, with Scotland and Italy yet to win a title since the competition's modern format was introduced.

Jonathan Burnett

Jonathan Burnett Photo

Jonathan is a freelance content producer and commentator for Sporting News UK, with a focus on international rugby tournaments like the Six Nations and Rugby World Cup. He also works as a commentator for StatsPerform’s football network, covering matches across Europe including the Champions League, 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2023 Women's World Cup. He’s a regular contributor to the history and statistics website Rugby League Project.

Jonny graduated from Leeds University with a journalism degree in 2021 and was Head of Media at Widnes Vikings RLFC in 2023. A self-confessed nerd of rugby league, union and football (soccer). Jonathan’s coverage across several sports can be found on the TSN site.