Six Nations statement: Fixtures confirmed for 2025 men’s championship

This weekend’s round four fixtures in the Guinness men's Six Nations will be the opening round of matches in the 2025 championship. Tournament officials have confirmed that next year’s competition will open in Paris next January with France hosting Wales in a Friday night fixture that will be followed on the Saturday by Scotland hosting Italy in Edinburgh and Ireland welcoming England to Dublin.

The January 31 clash versus the Welsh will see Les Bleus stage a Six Nations match in Paris for the first time since last year’s championship. Due to the upcoming Olympic Games in the French capital later this summer, the French have staged their championship matches this year in Marseille (versus Ireland) and Lille (against Italy), a tour that will end with next weekend’s visit of England to Lyon.

The final round next year on March 15 will see Ireland go to Rome to face Italy, Wales host England in Cardiff and France take on Scotland in Paris.

A statement read: “The 2025 Guinness men's Six Nations fixtures have been confirmed, with next year's championship starting in Paris under Friday night lights on January 31 with France returning to the Stade de France to host Wales.

“The opening round of fixtures will also see Scotland hosting Italy and England travelling to Dublin to face Ireland, both on Saturday, February 1.

“Five unpredictable and captivating rounds of elite sporting entertainment will culminate with Super Saturday on March 15, with back-to-back fixtures that could decide the 2025 title. Italy will host Ireland in Rome for the first game of the day followed by one of sport's biggest rivalries, Wales against England in Cardiff, before concluding in Paris when France plays Scotland.

“The Guinness men’s Six Nations is etched into the calendar of supporters every single year and continues to bring even more fans into the sport. In 2023, broadcast coverage alone drove 130million fans tuning in to watch the drama unfold, a +2.0m increase on the previous year.

"In 2024, the championship is being shown across 190 international markets, offering fans every opportunity to never miss a moment of the action.

“As per this year, the 2025 championship will see BBC and ITV sharing coverage in the UK, with S4C offering Welsh language options. France Television will be the home of the championship for French fans, RTE and Virgin Media will once again cover the games in Ireland.

"In Italy, Sky Italia will continue their coverage of the championship. The host broadcast coverage will also be complemented by widespread international broadcast coverage and a world feed service.”

Six Nations CEO Tom Harrison said: “The Guinness men’s Six Nations is one of the most anticipated sports events of any year, delivering blockbuster entertainment for fans all over the world. The championship never fails to deliver unpredictable excitement, bringing fans together for this annual feast of rugby.

“The next instalment of fixtures is always keenly anticipated by fans and alongside comprehensive broadcast plans, Six Nations fans can start looking forward to what is in store next year.”