It is almost that time of year again that every rugby fan looks forward to; the Six Nations Championship! Starting in February, teams fight it out to take home the Championship trophy and since the competition is known as rugby’s greatest tournament, you know everyone wants to win.
The Six Nations Championship is an annual rugby tournament that takes place between six national teams; England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Italy and France. Each team plays everyone else once during the tournament.
Not only is it known as the best rugby tournament in the world, but it is also the oldest. This competition has been around since 1882, starting as the Home Nations Championship. This took place between the home nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland and is considered the first international rugby tournament. Many years later, this was expanded to become the Five Nations, with France joining the ranks. This was again increased to Six Nations when Italy decided to get in on the action.
The current champions of the Six Nations 2017 are England and with the competition about to begin, who do you think will be the next team to lift the trophy? Let’s have a look at the national teams and the best ways you can show your support for your favourite at the 2018 Six Nations Championship!
England
As the current champions, you know England was destined to be in the Six Nations this year. Not only do they have a good team, but they also hold the record number of wins in the competition, with 28 outright title wins. England play at their Twickenham Stadium stronghold in southwest London, which has a maximum capacity of 82,000. This means that when God Save the Queen is on, everyone will be singing along!
A great way to show your support and get behind England is with an England Nylon Flag. This Saint George flag is made from quality 210 denier nylon fabric, which will make a great addition to a flag pole. If you are attending a game, check out the England St George Cross Hand Waving Flag. This will make sure you stand out from the crowd!
Wales
With 26 outright title wins, Wales are always a tough team to beat. The Welsh team play at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, which holds an amazing 74,500 supporters. The best way you can get behind the team and push them to victory is by flying the Welsh dragon proudly!
We have Wales Dragon Bunting, which you can use to decorate the outside of any building, as well as the inside. This features the famous Welsh flag and you can choose from three metres to nine metres. If you are travelling to a Six Nations game, you can choose the Wales Dragon Car Flag to show your support! This Welsh flag attaches to your car window with a sturdy plastic stick and clip to fly proudly in the wind for everyone to see.
Ireland
They always put up a fight and enjoy some great wins in the tournament; can you guess who we are talking about? That’s right, it’s Ireland! This strong team play at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which enjoys a great atmosphere with a maximum capacity of 51,700. To make sure Ireland win, you can fly the iconic green, white and orange tri colour with the Ireland Nylon Flag. This is made to fly high and proudly on a flagpole with two brass eyelets for hanging up securely. The colours are dye printed and the flag is made from quality 210 denier nylon fabric.
Scotland
While Scotland have not yet won the tournament since it has been known as the Six Nations, can this national team do it this year? The whole of Scotland will get behind the national team when they play at Murrayfield Stadium, with a massive 67, 144 maximum capacity. To make sure Scotland rise to victory this year, check out the Giant St Andrews Scotland Bunting! This boasts massive Saint Andrews Saltires, which are sure to brighten up any room and are made from a durable polyester for outdoor use. In addition, the Scotland 5ft x 3ft Flag will look great flying high on a flagpole, since it features vivid colours and is made from quality polyester.
Italy
As Italy have not won the Six Nations Championship yet, they will be trying their hardest to make an impact in the competition in 2018. The Stadio Olimpico holds 72, 698 people and if you are one of them, you can show your support with an Italy Hand Waving Flag! This is sure to get everyone’s attention and features the famous Italian flag on a sturdy wooden stick. The vivid colours make sure the flag is seen and there is no better way to cheer on your team to success!
France
Last but not least, we have France. After preparation for the tournament, France will be looking to secure their win early on in the competition and make sure they come out on top. With the Stade de France holding 81, 338, there is no doubt they will have amazing support from the French people. Of course, this could be even better with a France 5ft x 3ft Flag! This flag features the well-known tri colours of blue, white and red first adopted in 1794. You can hang this flag high on your flagpole to show your support for France, as well as use it as an indoor decoration; the choice is yours! Of course, sometimes it is hard to choose just one team to support during the Six Nations; that is why we also have the Six Nations Rugby Flag Pack, Six Nations Rugby Hand Flags Pack and Six Nations Rugby Bunting to make sure you can get ready for the occasion, no matter where you are or who you are supporting!