The 2012 Six Nations saw a historic victory for Wales when they overcame all the odds to achieve an unprecedented Grand Slam beating the five other nations in the tournament. This year they will be hard pressed to do the same when the 2013 Six Nations begins in February. England will be looking to avenge their defeat in Cardiff and get back to winning ways while France are once again heading in the right direction following some strong performances against the southern hemisphere sides in the autumn. Scotland, Ireland and the Italians will as always be competitive and this season’s Six Nations could be one of the best ones yet.
Iconic venues such as Twickenham, Murrayfield and of course the Millennium stadium are all reporting strong ticket sales with the first round of matches guaranteed to be a sell-out. Following Wales’s success last year interest in the tournament has never been higher and with a World Cup fast approaching teams and players will be looking to make a strong statement in the opening games.
History of the Six Nations Championship
The Championship was first played in 1910 and featured teams from the 5 nations of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France. Italy joined in 2000 to make up the 6th nation in the present tournament. Overall England has won the tournament the most times with 26 outright wins and 10 shared. Since the inception of the modern format Italy has the dubious honour of having picked up the most wooden spoons for finishing in last position. The Six Nations has a long and rich history that is justly celebrated in the world of rugby.
As well as the main championship prize there are a number of other side trophies that the teams compete for. The most prestigious of these is the Triple Crown which is awarded to either Scotland, Wales, Ireland or England if they manage to beat all of the other three teams. The Calcutta Cup is contested between Scotland and England while the Millennium trophy is contested between England and Ireland.
Following last year’s epic Six Nations tickets will be much in demand from rugby fans of all nationalities. Venues are already reporting strong ticket sales and the best way to buy sports tickets for many of the matches will be through specialist ticket sites on the net.