Rugby union officials are planning to hold all future men’s Six Nations matches on Saturdays in an attempt to draw larger audiences. The decision to scrap games held on Friday and Sunday is believed to be under serious discussion, in favor of the popular Super Saturday final. Staggered kick-offs of all three matches on the same day have seen a noticeable success in terms of television viewing figures. The seven most viewed games of the 2024 Six Nations all took place on Saturdays. However, the three least viewed matches – namely Wales v France, Ireland v Italy, and Italy v France – all happened on Sundays.
The suggested shift might be happily welcomed by fans who travel to attend the games. They will not have to face the challenging logistics that Friday night matches bring. Nevertheless, a large number of Irish fans did manage to travel to Marseille for Ireland’s initial Six Nations triumph over France in this year’s championship.
Although the 2025 championship is set to begin on a Friday, with France hosting Wales on January 31st, it is rumoured that various rugby unions wish to return to exclusively Saturday matches. This idea is one of several under discussion as rugby administrators worldwide seek the best way to expand the sport’s global following and increase profits.
Among other priorities is the proposed launch of the new Nations Cup competition every two years starting in 2026. A generous offer of €950 million across eight years has been made to host a ‘Super Bowl of Rugby’ finals weekend in Qatar. However, no final decision has been made due to reluctance from some major unions. Concerns raised include Qatar’s troubling human rights record and potentially low ticket sales due to a lower number of traveling fans. It’s believed that these discussions are nearing a critical point.
Lastly, British & Irish Lions officials are currently negotiating the match schedule for next year’s tour to Australia. They’re dealing with the issues of finding alternative opponents to take on the now-defunct Melbourne Rebels, as well as a growing number of problems related to the proposed match against a combined Anzac invitational XV in Adelaide on July 12th. With the Australian tour lasting only nine games and commercial and broadcasting contracts already finalized, offering the Lions serious competition is now a pressing concern.