When does it start, fixtures, squads and how to watch on TV

Who is in the squads?

England

Forwards: Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Arthur Clark (Gloucester), Alex Coles (Northampton), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Tom Curry (Sale), Theo Dan (Saracens), Trevor Davison (Northampton), Ben Earl (Saracens), Greg Fisilau (Exeter), Ellis Genge (Bristol), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Heyes (Leicester), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton), Guy Pepper (Bath), Henry Pollock (Northampton), Bevan Rodd (Sale) Vilikesa Sela (Bath), Sam Underhill (Bath).

Backs: Henry Arundell (Bath), Seb Atkinson (Gloucester), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Tommy Freeman (Northampton), George Furbank (Northampton), Alex Mitchell (Northampton), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Max Ojomoh (Bath), Henry Slade (Exeter), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby), Freddie Steward (Leicester), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester).

France

Forwards: Dorian Aldegheri, Uini Atonio, Hugo Auradou, Cyril Baille, Paul Boudehent, François Cros, Alexandre Fischer, Thibaud Flament, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Mickaël Guillard, Oscar Jegou, Anthony Jelonch, Maxime Lamothe, Julien Marchand, Temo Matiu, Peato Mauvaka, Emmanuel Meafou, Régis Montagne, Rodrigue Neti, Lenni Nouchi, Charles Ollivon, Dany Priso, Thomas Staniforth, Tevita Tatafu, Cameron Woki.

Backs: Grégoire Arfeuil, Théo Attissogbe, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Fabien Brau-Boirie, Romain Buros, Thibault Daubagna, Nicolas Depoortere, Gaël Dréan, Antoine Dupont, Kalvin Gourgues, Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, Matthieu Jalibert, Yoram Moefana, Noah Nene, Thomas Ramos, Baptiste Serin, Ugo Seunes.

Ireland

Forwards: Tom Ahern (Munster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Jack Boyle (Leinster), Thomas Clarkson (Leinster), Jack Conan (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster, captain), Edwin Edogbo (Munster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), Jeremy Loughman (Munster), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), Michael Milne (Munster), Tom O’Toole (Ulster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), James Ryan (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Tom Stewart (Ulster), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster).

Backs: Bundee Aki (Connacht), Robert Baloucoune (Ulster), Harry Byrne (Leinster), Craig Casey (Munster), Jack Crowley (Munster), Nathan Doak (Ulster), Tom Farrell (Munster), Ciaran Frawley (Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster), Hugo Keenan (Leinster), James Lowe (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Tommy O’Brien (Leinster), Jamie Osborne (Leinster), Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster).

Scotland

Forwards: E Ashman (Edinburgh), J Bayliss (Bath), M Bradbury (Edinburgh), G Brown (Glasgow), D Cherry (Vannes), S Cummings (Glasgow), A Craig (Glasgow), R Darge (Glasgow), J Dempsey (Glasgow), F Douglas (Edinburgh), M Fagerson (Glasgow), Z Fagerson (Glasgow), G Gilchrist (Edinburgh), J Gray (Bordeaux Bègles), N McBeth (Glasgow), L McConnell (Edinburgh), E Millar Mills (Northampton), D Rae (Edinburgh), J Ritchie (Perpignan), P Schoeman (Edinburgh), R Sutherland (Glasgow), G Turner (Harlequins), M Williamson (Glasgow)

Backs: F Burke (Saracens), J Dobie (Glasgow), D Graham (Edinburgh), A Hastings (Glasgow), G Horne (Glasgow), R Hutchinson (Northampton), H Jones (Glasgow), T Jordan (Bristol), B Kinghorn (Toulouse), S McDowall (Glasgow), F Russell (Bath), K Rowe (Glasgow), O Smith (Glasgow), K Steyn (Glasgow), S Tuipulotu (Glasgow, capt.), D Van der Merwe (Edinburgh), B White (Toulon)

Wales

Forwards: K Assiratti (Cardiff), A Beard (Montpellier), L Belcher (Cardiff), J Botham (Cardiff), R Carre (Saracens), B Carter (Dragons), O Cracknell (Leicester), H Deaves (Ospreys), R Elias (Scarlets), T Francis (Provence), A Griffin (Bath), D Jenkins (Exeter), D Lake (Ospreys, capt.), A Mann (Cardiff), J Macleod (Scarlets), T Plumtree (Scarlets), N Smith (Leicester), G Thomas (Ospreys), F Thomas (Gloucester), A Wainwright (Dragons)

Backs: J Adams (Cardiff), S Costelow (Scarlets), D Edwards (Ospreys), J Evans (Harlequins), M Grady (Cardiff), K Hardy (Ospreys), G Hamer-Webb (Leicester), J Hawkins (Scarlets), L Hennessey (Bath), E James (Scarlets), E Mee (Scarlets), R Morgan-Williams (Ospreys), B Murray (Scarlets), L Rees-Zammit (Bristol), T Rogers (Scarlets), B Thomas (Cardiff), O Watkin (Ospreys), T Williams (Gloucester)

Who are the referees? 

France vs Ireland – Karl Dickson
The only referee to have been appointed to two Six Nations fixtures in 2026 in a clear statement of who the authorities believe is top of their game as things stand. Dickson, the Englishman who refereed last season’s Prem final between Bath and Leicester, has been a mainstay on the international circuit for some time and has risen through the ranks to become one of the sport’s top officials. If Australia made the 2027 World Cup final and England did not, Dickson’s name would be in the mix.

Italy vs Scotland – Ben O’Keeffe
A strategic appointment. O’Keeffe refereed France’s quarter-final exit to South Africa in Paris at the last World Cup and, after his performance was met by vitriol by both players and public, has not officiated Les Bleus since. When that will be – perhaps never – only time will tell. The shame is that the New Zealander has become one of the top five referees in the world, even if he is a touch lax at the breakdown and the scrum.

England vs Wales – Pierre Brousset
France’s crop of officials is not what it once was – indeed, former Test referees Mathieu Raynal and Romain Poite are trying to turn that around – but Brousset sits on top of the tree. Question marks remain as to whether the Frenchman has the temperament and communication for the top level and, in truth, this match might not provide too many answers given the likelihood of a comfortable English victory. He will be refereeing consecutive Tests for England, however, having overseen the narrow autumn victory over Argentina.

Scotland vs England – Nika Amashukeli
A mainstay now at Test level and the only regular “tier one” referee from a “tier two” nation. The Georgian has developed into one of the world’s pre-eminent referees and, along with Angus Gardner and Karl Dickson, would appear as a front-runner for the World Cup final in 2027 – especially since it would be miraculous were Georgia to make it. Amashukeli refereed England against Australia in the autumn as well as the Wallabies’ third Test against the Lions last summer.

England vs Ireland – Andrea Piardi
One of the games of the championship, with a referee appointed whose rise has been rapid. The name of Andrea Piardi will not have meant much to rugby fans two seasons ago but the Italian has grown into one of European and global rugby’s most trusted officials. Piardi had an excellent match as England defeated New Zealand at Twickenham last November while he received plaudits for the way in which he handled the decisive second Test of last summer’s British and Irish Lions tour in Australia.

Italy vs England – Luc Ramos
Ramos took charge of two autumn Tests, both obliterations – Scotland against Tonga and South Africa’s visit to Wales – so the Frenchman will be hoping for something slightly more competitive at the top level in the Six Nations. He will probably get it, too; England will arrive in Rome as hot favourites but the Azzurri are always far more concentrated, organised and dangerous at home.

France vs England – Nic Berry
Given the bookmakers reckon this could be a title – or, even, Grand Slam – decider, what responsibility could lie on the shoulders of Berry, the Australian who has bounced back after the disgraceful treatment he received at the hands of Rassie Erasmus on the 2021 Lions tour. It is a measure of the man that he has bounced back so effectively, and if anything could prepare a referee for the pressure that might come in Paris, it may well have been the events of 2021. He took charge of New Zealand’s narrow victory over Scotland in November.

Who won the Six Nations in 2025?

France are the defending champions for the Six Nations, having beaten England by a single point last year. They won four of their five games, only losing to England at Twickenham by one point.