Ireland will begin their Six Nations 2026 campaign with a mouthwatering trip to France in the first-ever Thursday night fixture.
The two giants have won the last four titles between them, and therefore, it has all the makings of a classic on February 5. The contest will kick off at 20:10 GMT although the venue is yet to be announced.
The game has been moved to Thursday so it doesn’t clash with the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan. Officials believe it will help generate maximum viewership.
Ireland will host three home games, including a visit from the Italians in Round Two on Saturday, February 14. They’ll then face England at Twickenham a week later before a two week break.
On Friday, March 6, Ireland host Wales before welcoming Scotland in the final match. This year, nearly 130 million fans were watching coverage of the Six Nations in home markets – an increase of 6.3 per cent in comparison to the previous year.
France scuppered Ireland’s chances of winning a third consecutive Six Nations title this year, and they’ll look to take revenge on the French following a crushing 27-42 defeat at the Aviva Stadium.
France Rugby Federation will be hoping to have their stadium situation resolved sooner rather than later. They confirmed they have yet to receive a proposal to stay at the Stade de France and are considering other options.
During the 2024 Six Nations, when the Stade de France was unavailable due to the Olympics in Paris, France hosted games in Marseille, Lyon and Lille.
Six Nations fixtures in full (GMT)
Round 1
France v Ireland – Thursday 5 February (20:10)
Italy v Scotland – Saturday 7 February (14:10)
England v Wales – Saturday 7 February (16:40)
Round 2
Ireland v Italy – Saturday 14 February (14:10)
Scotland v England – Saturday 14 February (16:40)
Wales v France – Sunday 15 February (15:10)
Round 3
England v Ireland – Saturday 21 February (14:10)
Wales v Scotland – Saturday 21 February (16:40)
France v Italy – Sunday 22 February (15:10)
Round 4
Ireland v Wales – Friday 6 March (20:10)
Scotland v France – Saturday 7 March (14:10)
Italy v England – Saturday 7 March (16:40)
Round 5
Ireland v Scotland – Saturday 14 March (14:10)
Wales v Italy – Saturday 14 March (16:40)
France v England – Saturday 14 March (20:10)
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