2020 Six Nations Rugby Previews, Predictions & Betting Tips
What is the 2020 Six Nations Rugby Championship?
The 2020 Six Nations Championship will be the 21st edition of an annual rugby tournament contested between six European nations - Ireland, Wales, England, France, Scotland and Italy. The Six Nations Rugby Championship is the equivalent to the southern hemisphere Rugby Championship.
Teams play each other once throughout the course of the tournament, with home advantage alternating from one year to the next. Four points are awarded for a win, two for a draw, one for scoring four or more tries in a game and one for losing by seven points or fewer. The team with the most points is crowned champions.
The elusive Grand Slam is a title bestowed on the winner who is able to remain undefeated for the duration of the competition.
Six Nations Rugby Championship History
The Six Nations Championship is one of the oldest and most prestigious trophies in World Rugby which began as the Home Nations Championship in 1883. Four nations took part - England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
The tournament became known as the Five Nations Championship in 1910 with the addition of France, but Les Bleus were ejected in 1931 and came back in 1940.
Italy were introduced to the competition in 2000 when the Five Nations became the Six Nations. There have been calls from the president of Rugby Europe to allow Georgia and Romania into the tournament after success in the European Nations Cup and qualification for the Rugby World Cup.
Ireland, Scotland and Wales are the only nations to have participated in all 125 tournaments across various formats, as England did not compete in 1888 and 1889 due to their refusal to join the International Rugby Board. The tournament was suspended during both World Wars.
Recent Six Nations Rugby Champions, Grand Slam Winners & Wooden Spoon
| Year | Champions | Grand Slam | Wooden Spoon |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | |||
| 2019 | Wales | Wales | Italy |
| 2018 | Ireland | Ireland | Italy |
| 2017 | England | Italy | |
| 2016 | England | England | Italy |
| 2015 | Ireland | Scotland | |
| 2014 | Ireland | Italy | |
| 2013 | Wales | France | |
| 2012 | Wales | Wales | Scotland |
| 2011 | England | Italy | |
| 2010 | France | France | Italy |
| 2009 | Ireland | Ireland | Italy |
| 2008 | Wales | Wales | Italy |
| 2007 | France | Scotland | |
| 2006 | France | Italy | |
| 2005 | Wales | Wales | Italy |
| 2004 | France | France | Scotland |
| 2003 | England | England | Wales |
| 2002 | France | France | Italy |
| 2001 | England | Italy | |
| 2000 | England | Italy |
Where is the 2020 Six Nations Rugby Championship?
France will play their home games at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Scotland at BT Murrayfield in Edinburgh, Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome and England at Twickenham in London.
When does the 2020 Six Nations Rugby Championship start?
The tournament begins on 1 February 2020 when Wales host Italy at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff (kick-off 20:00 GMT).
2020 Six Nations Betting Odds
England are the early favourites but there is little separating them from Ireland and Wales. Scotland and France are rated as outsiders at 17.00 and 23.00 respectively. Italy are paying 1501.00 for what would be a miraculous Six Nations triumph.
| Nation | Odds |
|---|---|
| England | 2.75 |
| Ireland | 3.25 |
| Wales | 3.75 |
| Scotland | 17.00 |
| France | 23.00 |
| Italy | 1501 |
2020 Six Nations Teams
2020 Six Nations Fixtures
Who has won the most Six Nations Rugby Championships?
England lead the way in the Six Nations era with six titles. France and Wales sit joint second with five, while Ireland have four. In overall tournament history, Wales have won 39 titles with 12 of them shared, while England have won 38 with 10 shared.
Italy and Scotland are the only two teams in the Six Nations who have yet to win the title.
Who are the Six Nations defending champions?
Wales claimed a surprise grand slam victory in 2019 and will be looking to defend their crown. Ireland won the grand slam in 2018 to snatch the title from England.
What happened at the 2019 Six Nations Rugby Championship?
Wales did not always play the most exciting rugby, but they were ruthlessly effective and toppled each one of the challengers in their path to win the Grand Slam.
England finished in second place, five points adrift of Warren Gatland’s men. Defending champions Ireland had to settle for third this time with France fourth, Scotland fifth and winless Italy sixth.
England’s Jonny May was the leading 2019 Six Nations tryscorer with six, two clear of second-placed Frenchman Yoann Huget. Owen Farrell, England’s captain, was the top points scorer with 59.
2020 Six Nations Betting Tips
Picking a winner this far from the tournament is always fraught with danger but it would be a huge shock if anybody other than England, Ireland or Wales triumphed. The last team outside of these three to lift the Six Nations was France in 2010.
England are rated as slight favourites by bookmakers and will start their campaign with away matches against France and Scotland. They will then host Ireland and Wales at Twickenham before travelling to face Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Check back in at free tips closer to the start of the tournament for detailed previews, predictions and betting tips including outright winner and tournament top tryscorer.
At FreeTips.com we will be providing regular 2020 Six Nations Championship Tips which include match winner, handicaps, total points, tryscorer tips, and Six Nations top tryscorer tips.
Our priority at Free Tips is to provide you with expertly researched 2020 Six Nations Championship tips that you can use to help build your bankroll.
