The Six Nations Championship is an annual international men's rugby union competition between the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It is also the oldest sports tournament ever between Home Nations. The championship holders are Ireland, who won the 2024 tournament.
The Calcutta Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the rugby match between England and Scotland played annually in the Six Nations Championship. Like the match itself (England–Scotland), the Calcutta Cup is the oldest trophy contested between any two international rugby union teams, pre-dating the Bledisloe Cup by more than half a century. It is also the oldest of several trophies awarded under the umbrella of the Six Nations Championship, which include the Millennium Trophy (England–Ireland), Centenary Quaich (Ireland–Scotland), Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy (France–Italy), Auld Alliance Trophy (France–Scotland), the Doddie Weir Cup (Scotland–Wales) and the Cuttitta Cup (Italy–Scotland).
The England men's national rugby union team represents the Rugby Football Union in men's international rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. England have won the championship on 29 occasions, winning the Grand Slam 14 times and the Triple Crown 26 times, making them the most successful outright winners in the tournament's history. They are currently the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup, having won the tournament in 2003, and have been runners-up on three further occasions.
The Rugby Europe International Championships is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations.
The Women's Six Nations Championship, known as the Guinness Women's Six Nations for sponsorship purposes, is an international rugby union competition contested between six European women's national teams. It started in the 1995–96 season as the Home Nations, with four teams: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The 2014–16 European Nations Cup First Division is the premier rugby union competition below the Six Nations Championship in Europe. It is divided into two tiers; Division 1A and Division 1B.
Rugby Europe is the administrative body for rugby union in Europe. It was formed in 1999 to promote, develop, organise, and administer the game of rugby in Europe under the authority of World Rugby. However, it is not responsible for the organisation of the Six Nations Championship or the competitions run by European Professional Club Rugby.
The Belgian Rugby League Association is the governing body for rugby league in Belgium. It was formed in early 2009 as Belgium Rugby League and given Observer status by the RLIF. The first Belgian club was established in Wavre and on 11 July 2009 they faced Hammersmith Hills Hoists in the first match to be played in Belgium. Two weeks later, the Belgium XIII representative side defeated a Catalonia XIII in the Euro Med Challenge. In 2010, Belgium were scheduled to compete in the European Bowl, but withdrew from the tournament and development of the sport in Belgium was suspended.
The 2017 Rugby Europe Championship is the premier rugby union competition outside of the Six Nations Championship in Europe. It is the inaugural Championship under its new format, that saw Belgium, Georgia, Germany, Romania, Russia and Spain compete for the title.
The 2016–17 Rugby Europe Trophy is the second-level rugby union competition below the premier Championship. It is the inaugural Trophy competition under its new format, that will see Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland and Ukraine compete for the title, and a place in the Championship-Trophy promotion play-off.
The 2018 Rugby Europe Championship is the premier rugby union competition outside of the Six Nations Championship in Europe. This is the second season under its new format, that saw Georgia, Germany, Romania, Russia, Spain and Belgium compete for the title.
The 2017–18 Rugby Europe International Championships is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. The 2017–18 season is the second of its new format and structure, where all Levels play on a one-year cycle, replacing the old format of a two-year cycle, with the teams playing each other both home and away.
Andrew Brace is a rugby union referee and former player. Born in Cardiff, Wales, Brace represents the Irish Rugby Football Union as a referee, and was an international player for Belgium. He has refereed matches in the Pro14, the European Rugby Challenge Cup and the European Rugby Champions Cup. In 2017 he began refereeing test matches. He has been married to his childhood sweetheart for over 10 years, Amanda Brace. He describes his relationship as ‘the best thing that’s ever happened to him, second only to refereeing.’
The 2018–19 Rugby Europe International Championships is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. The 2018–19 season is the third of its new format and structure, where all Levels play on a one-year cycle, replacing the old format of a two-year cycle, with the teams playing each other both home and away.
The 2019 Rugby Europe Championship is the premier rugby union competition outside of the Six Nations Championship in Europe. This is the third season under its new format, that sees Georgia, Germany, Russia, Spain, Belgium and Romania compete for the title. After the eligibility controversy of the 2018 Championship, Romania had to face Portugal for the promotion- / relegation- play-off and defeated them, hence joining the competition as the sixth contender.
The 2018–19 Rugby Europe Conference is the third-level rugby union competition below the premier Championship and Trophy competitions. It is the third Conference under its new format. After Lithuania was promoted to the Trophy and Moldova relegated at the end of the 2017–18 season, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Hungary, Israel, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Sweden and Ukraine compete for the Conference 1 title. While after the relegation of Estonia and the promotion of Bulgaria, Andorra, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia will compete for the Conference 2 title. Due to the relegation of a Conference 2 North team and the promotion of a Southern team, the Conference 2 Pools had to be reallocated. While Bulgaria joined the Conference 2 South, Austria switched pools to the Conference 2 North, replacing Estonia.
The 2019–20 Rugby Europe International Championships is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. The 2019–20 season is the third of its new format and structure, where all Levels play on a one-year cycle, replacing the old format of a two-year cycle, with the teams playing each other both home and away.
The 2019–20 Rugby Europe Trophy is the second-level rugby union competition below the premier Championship. It is the fourth Trophy competition under its new format, that will see Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland compete for the title, and a place in the Championship–Trophy promotion play-off.
The 2021–22 Rugby Europe Trophy is the fifth season of the second premier rugby union competition for European national teams outside the Six Nations Championship which itself is a part of the Rugby Europe International Championships. The confirmed teams that are competing include Belgium, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Switzerland and Ukraine.
The 2021–22 Rugby Europe International Championships is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. The 2021–22 season is the fifth of its new format and structure, where all Levels play on a one-year cycle, replacing the old format of a two-year cycle, with the teams playing each other both home and away.
Belgium 
Georgia 
Portugal 
Romania 
Russia 
Spain 
