Played annually, the format is simple: each team plays every other team once, with home field advantage alternating from one year to the next. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss. Victory in every game results in a so-called "Grand Slam", victory by a home nation (i.e. excluding France and Italy) over the three other home nations is a "Triple Crown". The victors of the game between England and Scotland win the "Calcutta Cup".
The importance of the competition has decreased slightly since the introduction of the Rugby Union World Cup, but the long standing rivalries between teams mean that it remains a passionate and fiercely contested prize.
1883 | England |
1884 | England |
1885 | Incomplete |
1886 | England and Scotland |
1887 | Scotland |
1888 | Incomplete |
1889 | Incomplete |
1890 | England and Scotland |
1891 | Scotland |
1892 | England |
1893 | Wales |
1894 | Ireland |
1895 | Scotland |
1896 | Ireland |
1897 | Incomplete |
1898 | Incomplete |
1899 | Ireland |
1900 | Wales |
1901 | Scotland |
1902 | Wales |
1903 | Scotland |
1904 | Scotland |
1905 | Wales |
1906 | Wales and Ireland |
1907 | Scotland |
1908 | Wales (Grand Slam) |
1909 | Wales (Grand Slam) |
1910 | England |
1911 | Wales (Grand Slam) |
1912 | England and Ireland |
1913 | England (Grand Slam) |
1914 | England (Grand Slam) |
1915-19 | Not held due to World War I |
1920 | England, Scotland and Wales |
1921 | England (Grand Slam) |
1922 | Wales |
1923 | England (Grand Slam) |
1924 | England (Grand Slam) |
1925 | Scotland (Grand Slam) |
1926 | Scotland and Ireland |
1927 | Scotland and Ireland |
1928 | England (Grand Slam) |
1929 | Scotland |
1930 | England |
1931 | Wales |
1932 | England, Wales and Ireland |
1933 | Scotland |
1934 | England (Grand Slam) |
1935 | Ireland |
1936 | Wales |
1937 | England (Grand Slam) |
1938 | Scotland |
1939 | England, Wales and Ireland |
1940-46 | Not held due to World War II |
1947 | Wales and England |
1948 | Ireland (Grand Slam) |
1949 | Ireland |
1950 | Wales (Grand Slam) |
1951 | Ireland |
1952 | Wales (Grand Slam) |
1953 | England |
1954 | England, France and Wales |
1955 | France and Wales |
1956 | Wales |
1957 | England (Grand Slam) |
1958 | England |
1959 | France |
1960 | France and England |
1961 | France |
1962 | France |
1963 | England |
1964 | Scotland and Wales |
1965 | Wales |
1966 | Wales |
1967 | France |
1968 | France (Grand Slam) |
1969 | Wales |
1970 | Wales and France |
1971 | Wales (Grand Slam) |
1972 | Incomplete |
1973 | Five way tie |
1974 | Ireland |
1975 | Wales |
1976 | Wales (Grand Slam) |
1977 | France (Grand Slam) |
1978 | Wales (Grand Slam) |
1979 | Wales |
1980 | England (Grand Slam) |
1981 | France (Grand Slam) |
1982 | Ireland |
1983 | France and Ireland |
1984 | Scotland (Grand Slam) |
1985 | Ireland |
1986 | France and Scotland |
1987 | France (Grand Slam) |
1988 | Wales and France |
1989 | France |
1990 | Scotland (Grand Slam) |
1991 | England (Grand Slam) |
1992 | England (Grand Slam) |
1993 | France |
1994 | Wales |
1995 | England (Grand Slam) |
1996 | England (Grand Slam) |
1997 | France (Grand Slam) |
1998 | France (Grand Slam) |
1999 | Scotland |
2000 | England |
2001 | England |
2002 | France (Grand Slam) |
2003 | England (Grand Slam) |
England | France | Ireland | Italy | Scotland | Wales | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tournaments | 103 | 73 | 103 | 4 | 103 | 103 |
Outright Wins | 25 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 22 |
Shared Wins | 10 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 11 |
Triple Crowns | 23 | - | 6 | - | 10 | 17 |
Grand Slams | 12 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
The Triple Crown is awarded when one of the four British and Irish teams beats the other three. The Grand Slam is said to occur when a team wins all of its matches.