Six Nations 2026
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@Catogrande Italy sell out the Stadio Olympico in Rome. Argentina get crowds of over 40,000 for home games in a soccer man country. So a successful Spanish Rugby team, ranked in the top 10, could sell out the Nou Camp or the Bernabéu.
But Georgia will have the drawback for a long time of being less financially attractive than Scotland or Wales.
I'd keep it as the Six Nations for now. But discussions about a playoff between the Six Nations wooden spoon and the winner of the next tier European competition shouldn't be off the table IMHO.
@sparky said in Six Nations 2026:
@Catogrande Italy sell out the Stadio Olympico in Rome. Argentina get crowds of over 40,000 for home games in a soccer man country. So a successful Spanish Rugby team, ranked in the top 10, could sell out the Nou Camp or the Bernabéu.
But Georgia will have the drawback for a long time of being less financially attractive than Scotland or Wales.
I'd keep it as the Six Nations for now. But discussions about a playoff between the Six Nations wooden spoon and the winner of the next tier European competition shouldn't be off the table IMHO.
I'm really trying to work out why you have such a hard on for Spanish rugby
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I think there are different starting points in this debate, the 6 nations is my favourite time of the year sport wise, coming out of a dark and miserable January, the 6N is like a burning beacon of sport, friends getting together, rivalries and the piss taking that goes with them established over lifetimes.
Whilst i have sympathy for the argument re growing the game, for involving teams from outside the current 6N concept, I am terrified of breaking what we have, of pointless games between England and Spain with no real rivalry to base celebration on. Beating Wales, as weird as it was to be in a stadium with no jeopardy will always be more fun than beating Georgia.
Growing the money in the game is important, growing participation is great, but ultimately, rugby is not going to be football, and I worry that spreading the cash that it generates today (largely from the world cup) between more nations means that we risk losing what we have. I am aware that for lots of the nations at the top tier, that risk is also real as we are, thinking Aus, Wales and even Ireland.
Breaking the 6N is a dangerous path to walk down. as a fan, it is the best rugby tournament in the world, whatever people think of the quality of individual teams or matches.
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If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
I don’t understand organisations tinkering with formats of existing competitions.
RWC going to 24 teams and making the pools irrelevant, super rugby every few year’s changing the format. Albeit enforced by teams leaving.
The Rugby Championship not happening this year.
Even the FIFA World Cup is now 48 teams.Sometimes ya just need to leave stuff alone.
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I think there are different starting points in this debate, the 6 nations is my favourite time of the year sport wise, coming out of a dark and miserable January, the 6N is like a burning beacon of sport, friends getting together, rivalries and the piss taking that goes with them established over lifetimes.
Whilst i have sympathy for the argument re growing the game, for involving teams from outside the current 6N concept, I am terrified of breaking what we have, of pointless games between England and Spain with no real rivalry to base celebration on. Beating Wales, as weird as it was to be in a stadium with no jeopardy will always be more fun than beating Georgia.
Growing the money in the game is important, growing participation is great, but ultimately, rugby is not going to be football, and I worry that spreading the cash that it generates today (largely from the world cup) between more nations means that we risk losing what we have. I am aware that for lots of the nations at the top tier, that risk is also real as we are, thinking Aus, Wales and even Ireland.
Breaking the 6N is a dangerous path to walk down. as a fan, it is the best rugby tournament in the world, whatever people think of the quality of individual teams or matches.
@Dodge said in Six Nations 2026:
I think there are different starting points in this debate, the 6 nations is my favourite time of the year sport wise, coming out of a dark and miserable January, the 6N is like a burning beacon of sport, friends getting together, rivalries and the piss taking that goes with them established over lifetimes.
Whilst i have sympathy for the argument re growing the game, for involving teams from outside the current 6N concept, I am terrified of breaking what we have, of pointless games between England and Spain with no real rivalry to base celebration on. Beating Wales, as weird as it was to be in a stadium with no jeopardy will always be more fun than beating Georgia.
Growing the money in the game is important, growing participation is great, but ultimately, rugby is not going to be football, and I worry that spreading the cash that it generates today (largely from the world cup) between more nations means that we risk losing what we have. I am aware that for lots of the nations at the top tier, that risk is also real as we are, thinking Aus, Wales and even Ireland.
Breaking the 6N is a dangerous path to walk down. as a fan, it is the best rugby tournament in the world, whatever people think of the quality of individual teams or matches.
I remember Clive Woodward said this years ago.
Possibly the only time in history he has been correct about something.
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@Catogrande said in Six Nations 2026:
However in building this stronger and larger base it has to be mangled in a way that doesn't damage the current game
Deliberate typo? Works even if unintentional.
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@mohikamo said in Six Nations 2026:
@MiketheSnow said in Six Nations 2026:
The 6N is much more than one rugby team versus another. It's centuries of nation v nation.
I actually attended an international rugby event on the weekend.
All the top countries in the world were there except . . .
No England
No Scotland
No Ireland
No Wales
Why? . . . because they are not even countries . . . they are anachronismsTell you who was there . . . Spain was there, and they were very very good.
They finished ahead of France, and another team . . . called . . . Great Britain!
Great Britain . . . a real country!
Who went on to finish last in both the M and the W.
Mmmm . . . might have been a bit harsh
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@sparky said in Six Nations 2026:
@Catogrande Italy sell out the Stadio Olympico in Rome. Argentina get crowds of over 40,000 for home games in a soccer man country. So a successful Spanish Rugby team, ranked in the top 10, could sell out the Nou Camp or the Bernabéu.
But Georgia will have the drawback for a long time of being less financially attractive than Scotland or Wales.
I'd keep it as the Six Nations for now. But discussions about a playoff between the Six Nations wooden spoon and the winner of the next tier European competition shouldn't be off the table IMHO.
I'm really trying to work out why you have such a hard on for Spanish rugby
@MiketheSnow said in Six Nations 2026:
I'm really trying to work out why you have such a hard on for Spanish rugby
The reason why is because it looks like they are about to become competitive at the high end of the international game.
The commercial potential for rugby worldwide is massive.
The Spanish RU should be getting all the support that WR can muster to get them up into the big league.
Especially as the 6N dont seem at all interested in the rest of European rugby.Spain are probably a more competitive unit right now than Italy were when they came in and made it a 6N comp.
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@sparky said in Six Nations 2026:
@Catogrande Italy sell out the Stadio Olympico in Rome. Argentina get crowds of over 40,000 for home games in a soccer man country. So a successful Spanish Rugby team, ranked in the top 10, could sell out the Nou Camp or the Bernabéu.
But Georgia will have the drawback for a long time of being less financially attractive than Scotland or Wales.
I'd keep it as the Six Nations for now. But discussions about a playoff between the Six Nations wooden spoon and the winner of the next tier European competition shouldn't be off the table IMHO.
I'm really trying to work out why you have such a hard on for Spanish rugby
@MiketheSnow said in Six Nations 2026:
I'm really trying to work out why you have such a hard on for Spanish rugby
Spanish rugby players get to star in Coen brothers films and marry Penelope Cruz?
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@MN5 Who are higher in the world rankings at the moment: Scotland or Italy?
And dare I mention the word trajectory.
And yes, I can see Italy winning against the All Blacks in Wellington in July if the ABs take that game for granted.
@sparky said in Six Nations 2026:
@MN5 Who are higher in the world rankings at the moment: Scotland or Italy?
And dare I mention the word trajectory.
Not for Scotland, no you cannot.
But traiettoria is ok. -
Roger Goodell would have barred-up for sure when he heard this years prospective No 1 draft choice, Fernando Mendoza, speaking in impeccable Spanish.
Which ever franchise drafts him will being playing a game in Mexico or Spain next season.
Other football codes look at things a bit more broadly than rugby (union). -
@sparky said in Six Nations 2026:
@Catogrande Italy sell out the Stadio Olympico in Rome. Argentina get crowds of over 40,000 for home games in a soccer man country. So a successful Spanish Rugby team, ranked in the top 10, could sell out the Nou Camp or the Bernabéu.
But Georgia will have the drawback for a long time of being less financially attractive than Scotland or Wales.
I'd keep it as the Six Nations for now. But discussions about a playoff between the Six Nations wooden spoon and the winner of the next tier European competition shouldn't be off the table IMHO.
I'm really trying to work out why you have such a hard on for Spanish rugby
@MiketheSnow 51,000 registered players and rising (higher than Scotland, but lower than Wales) in a nation of 49 million players.
Football and Basketball are their main sports, but it's a nation where Rugby really could grow if they have a couple of world class players emerging.
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@MiketheSnow said in Six Nations 2026:
I'm really trying to work out why you have such a hard on for Spanish rugby
The reason why is because it looks like they are about to become competitive at the high end of the international game.
The commercial potential for rugby worldwide is massive.
The Spanish RU should be getting all the support that WR can muster to get them up into the big league.
Especially as the 6N dont seem at all interested in the rest of European rugby.Spain are probably a more competitive unit right now than Italy were when they came in and made it a 6N comp.
@mohikamo said in Six Nations 2026:
@MiketheSnow said in Six Nations 2026:
I'm really trying to work out why you have such a hard on for Spanish rugby
The reason why is because it looks like they are about to become competitive at the high end of the international game.
The commercial potential for rugby worldwide is massive.
The Spanish RU should be getting all the support that WR can muster to get them up into the big league.
Especially as the 6N dont seem at all interested in the rest of European rugby.Spain are probably a more competitive unit right now than Italy were when they came in and made it a 6N comp.
ok, so what's the right answer? I don't want to see Wales, Scotland etc relegated from the competition and I don't think other fans do either.
You could potentially include them in a 7N which would give every team 3 home games a year which would help the budgeting process of the unions however where you're going to find an extra 2 weeks for the tournament from in an already overcrowded season when the French domestic tournament is the dominant financial force in the game is beyond me.
Would it be possible to include a Spanish team or 2 in the URC & European Champions Cup (maybe by removing the South African teams)? I don't have any idea re the strength of Spanish club rugby but my guess is their best players are Basque / Catalan and already play in France.
Solve the club problem first before breaking the international tournament IMO
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@Catogrande said in Six Nations 2026:
However in building this stronger and larger base it has to be mangled in a way that doesn't damage the current game
Deliberate typo? Works even if unintentional.
unintentional but as you say, it works. So I left it as is.
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Hear fucking hear
@MiketheSnow said in Six Nations 2026:
Hear fucking hear
Given Dodge wrote "Beating Wales, as weird as it was to be in a stadium with no jeopardy will always be more fun than beating Georgia."
...I find your agreement a tad surprising!
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If, and it’s a massive non-existent if, anyone deserves a shot it’s Georgia
They consistently shit on Spain and have enough players playing first class rugby to sustain a squad which can turn up for 5-weeks of intense rugby
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@MiketheSnow said in Six Nations 2026:
Hear fucking hear
Given Dodge wrote "Beating Wales, as weird as it was to be in a stadium with no jeopardy will always be more fun than beating Georgia."
...I find your agreement a tad surprising!
@nostrildamus said in Six Nations 2026:
@MiketheSnow said in Six Nations 2026:
Hear fucking hear
Given Dodge wrote "Beating Wales, as weird as it was to be in a stadium with no jeopardy will always be more fun than beating Georgia."
...I find your agreement a tad surprising!
Because statistically we should be coming 5th or 6th every 6N but when we don’t it’s glorious
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@MiketheSnow 51,000 registered players and rising (higher than Scotland, but lower than Wales) in a nation of 49 million players.
Football and Basketball are their main sports, but it's a nation where Rugby really could grow if they have a couple of world class players emerging.
@sparky said in Six Nations 2026:
@MiketheSnow 51,000 registered players and rising (higher than Scotland, but lower than Wales) in a nation of 49 million players.
Football and Basketball are their main sports, but it's a nation where Rugby really could grow if they have a couple of world class players emerging.
Spain will always be the USA
The best athletes will choose football (soccer) and basketball
Every once in a while a good coach will coalesce a group of players to over perform
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@sparky said in Six Nations 2026:
@MiketheSnow 51,000 registered players and rising (higher than Scotland, but lower than Wales) in a nation of 49 million players.
Football and Basketball are their main sports, but it's a nation where Rugby really could grow if they have a couple of world class players emerging.
Spain will always be the USA
The best athletes will choose football (soccer) and basketball
Every once in a while a good coach will coalesce a group of players to over perform
@MiketheSnow said in Six Nations 2026:
The best athletes will choose football (soccer)
You can say the same about England (and just about every other country in the world for that matter).
Some athletes in every country will be more suited to a contact sport like rugby, than soccer.
With good development programs, no reason Spain cant end up with a similar athlete participation structure to England.
And you could say that about all countries where soccer is the dominant football code.The reason Spain is more important to the future development of rugby as a sport is because of the financial potential.
The likes of Georgia, Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa, while they produce great players; at the end of the day they are going to bring virtually nothing to rugby from a financial perspective.
Scotland and Wales are similar in that respect; without the 6N windfall they'd be fucked, and no better off than any other Euro country.
(Except England and France of course, or more specifically the souths of England and France).
So I fully understand the desperation to stay at the big party, even if their on field performances dont warrant it.
