Rugby Six Nations - History
History - Importan facts - Teams - Winners
In 1910 the championship was named “Five Nations” by the French, and then due to several internal affairs they did not take part for an extensive period. France rejoined again in the late 1940s.
In 1926, Scotland became the first Home Union side to defeat England at Twickenham after England had won the Grand Slam (winning the Triple Crown and beating the French) five times in eight seasons.
The Five Nations tournament started once more in 1947; then due to political affairs in 1972, Wales and Scotland refused to play in Ireland and the matter has been controversy ever since.
In the 1950s it was the turn of the French to dominate the game. In 1959, the "Tricolores" won the title for the first time and the team was champion for four years in a row until 1968 when they won their first Grand Slam.
For most of the last decade, as the game has adjusted to the new "Professional" era, the Championship was very much England's. Winning the Grand Slam three times, they marked their dominance by taking the Triple Crown six times in eight seasons. Only England's bete noir - an indomitable French side with back-to-back Grand Slams - stopped them in 1997 and 1998.
ith the addition of the Italian Rugby team, the Five Nations became Six, including a new element to the expansion and history of Northern hemisphere rugby.