Six Nations Championship

The Six Nations Championship is a tournament for the main Rugby Union playing nations of the Northern Hemisphere: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales. Each side plays one match against every other side. Between 1910 and 1999 the competition was known as the 'Five Nations': England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales. Italy joined in 2000. Between 1883 and 1909 the competition was known as the 'Home Nations' comprising of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

The winner of the 2008 Six Nations Championship is Wales, which also won the 'Triple Crown' (a title awarded to a team from England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales which defeats all its British Isles opponents) and the 'Grand Slam' (it defeated all the other sides). The other prize available in the tournament is the Calcutta Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the game between England and Scotland. Also, a team that wins none of its games in a given year is said to have 'won' the wooden spoon.