6 Nations Championship

In 1871 , England and Scotland played the first rugby union international. Wales and Ireland joined battle in the 1880 s, and the Home International Championships began.

In 1910 , the French, who had played in four of the tournaments up to that time, coined the phrase "Five Nations", but by 1931 the inadequacies of the French game's administration led to the Home Unions halting relations with them. Due to this, the championship became an entirely domestic affair for eight years and France rejoined in 1939-40, with the outbreak of World War Two delaying their re-entry for a further eight years.

In 2000 with the addition of the Italian Rugby team, the Five Nations became Six , adding a new dimension to the development and history of Northern hemisphere rugby.