Ireland Vs. England Rugby: The History Of The Six Nations' Best Rivalry
Ireland Vs. England Rugby: The History Of The Six Nations' Best Rivalry
The Six Nations' greatest rivalry renews Feb. 1 with the 143rd match between No. 2 Ireland and No. 7 England. Here's a brief history of the rivalry.
The Six Nations Championship has existed for more than a century.
Evolving from its original 1883 name of the Home Nations Championship, to the 1910 name of the Five Nations Championship, the annual international rugby competition has seen a plethora of matchups.
Yet, 142 years later, one matchup continues to dominate the tournament, with its history going further back than the Six Nations itself.
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The first time Ireland Rugby stepped foot into the Oval in London to take on England Rugby, neither team could have imagined the fiery rivalry that would come to burn in their matches.
England took the win, two goals to none, and would go on to win the first seven matches, before a draw in 1882 broke the streak. Those eight games were played under the Home Nations International Tournament which preceded the Home Nations Championship series.
In 1988, a trophy in the shape of a horned Viking helmet, dubbed the Millennium Trophy, was created to celebrate the matchup between the two teams, being awarded annually during the Six Nations Championship.
The two teams have played 142 games, of which England has won 81, Ireland has won 53 and eight have ended in a draw.
Now, in the 2025 Six Nations Championship, No. 2-ranked Ireland and No. 7-ranked England will face off in their 143rd matchup and their 38th match for the rights of the Millennium Trophy.
The contest at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin will get underway Saturday at 11:45 a.m. Eastern.
The odds are stacked against the all-time winner England Rugby, but the 2024 match ended in an upset win over Ireland, which was the No. 3 rugby team in the world at the time.
Six Nations 2025 Fixtures
Round 1
- Jan. 31 - France vs. Wales - 3:15 p.m. ET
- Feb. 1 - Scotland vs. Italy - 9:15 a.m. ET
- Feb. 1 - Ireland vs. England - 11:45 a.m. ET
Round 2
- Feb. 8 - Italy vs. Wales - 9:15 a.m. ET
- Feb. 8 - England vs. France - 11:45 a.m. ET
- Feb. 9 - Scotland vs. Ireland - 10 a.m. ET
Round 3
- Feb. 22 - Wales vs. Ireland - 9:15 a.m. ET
- Feb. 22 - England vs. Scotland - 11:45 a.m. ET
- Feb. 23 - Italy vs. France - 10 a.m. ET
Round 4
- March 8 - Ireland vs. France - 9:15 a.m. ET
- March 8 - Scotland vs. Wales - 11:45 a.m. ET
- March 9 - England vs. Italy - 11 a.m. ET
Round 5
- March 15 - Italy vs. Ireland - 10:15 a.m. ET
- March 15 - Wales vs. England - 12:45 p.m. ET
- March 15 - France vs. Scotland - 4 p.m. ET
What Countries Compete In The Six Nations?
- England
- Wales
- Scotland
- Ireland
- France
- Italy
World Rugby Rankings 2025 - Jan. 27
- South Africa - 92.78
- Ireland - 90.78
- New Zealand - 90.36
- France - 88.51
- Argentina - 84.97
- Scotland - 83.34
- England - 82.31
- Australia - 81.52
- Fiji - 80.07
- Italy - 78.64
- Wales - 74.01
- Georgia - 73.85
- Japan - 72.95
- Samoa - 72.68
- USA - 70.02
- Portugal - 68.82
- Uruguay - 67.06
- Spain - 65.98
- Tonga - 65.46
- Romania - 63.01
- Chile - 61.72
- Hong Kong China - 59.49
- Canada - 59.18
- Netherlands - 58.56
- Namibia - 57.87
- Zimbabwe - 57.16
- Brazil - 56.53
- Belgium - 56.51
- Switzerland - 56.04
- Sweden - 54.10
- Germany - 52.95
Watch Ireland Vs. England From 2023
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