The Guinness Men’s Six Nations comes back bigger each year, having established itself as a modern classic within the global sporting calendar. Guaranteed world class entertainment for fans, and an annual opportunity for players to write their names and their nation into the history of a truly iconic Championship.
The Championship’s history reaches back to 1883, but 2025 will mark the 25th anniversary of the men’s Six Nations in its current format, since Italy joined and completed the line-up in 2000.
To celebrate the milestone, all roads led to Rome. The team Captains and Head Coaches from each Union and Federation gathered in the Italian Capital, for the annual showpiece launch event, that signals the start of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations Championship.
As modern-day entertainers and gladiators, the international rugby Captains took their positions in the world’s most famous arena, the Colosseum, to set the scene for the 2025 Championship and capture an iconic moment.
Rich in history, but somehow always new, the Six Nations puts the best European nations and players on the global stage. Eagerly anticipated each year before engaging with millions of fans; either watching, attending, following, or joining the passionate community through the likes of the Six Nations Fantasy Rugby game.
In 2024, 185 million fans tuned in across 64 countries to watch the action, whilst 4 million social media followers drove 615 million video views, and nearly 300,000 fans competed against each other through the Six Nations Fantasy Rugby game. This lays the foundations for another unmissable 2025 Championship.
The popularity of the Championship has never been greater, and fans are responding. On the pitch, the Guinness Men’s Six Nations has never been more competitive, with performance statistics from the 2024 edition overtaking previous years.
The 2024 Championship delivered high scoring games (45.9 points per game), more tries (5.3 per game), and lower average winning margins (8.9 average margin), compared to previous Championships. On top of this, record high number of comebacks (5) and upsets, and lower ranked teams delivering more wins each year (4 wins), all spotlighting the fact that the Guinness Men’s Six Nations gets more unpredictable each year.
Speaking at the 2025 Guinness Men’s Six Nations launch event, Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, said:
“The Six Nations Championship is unique in sport and is rugby’s most loved annual occasion. The fifteen fixtures over five rounds mean that every game, point and moment matter. Not just for the players, but for the millions of fans who help make the Championship experience so special.
It is fitting that we are in Rome to celebrate the start of this year's Championship, and 25 years of the Six Nations, since Italy joined in 2000. The experience of the tournament is truly unique, and Italy have helped shape this for fans from all over the world.
2025 has added significance, as we go into the first year of a new partnership with Guinness; the longstanding and dedicated partner of Six Nations Rugby. Guinness and Six Nations are synonymous, and the brand has been at the centre of some of the biggest moments in the Championship.”
Guinness cemented their position in rugby by extending their Title Partnership of the Men’s Championship in 2023, and elevating their role in the women’s game, to be Title Partner of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations. Speaking at the launch event in Rome, Somnath Dasgupta, Global Marketing Director at Guinness said:
“The Guinness Men’s Six Nations has become a global occasion that taps into culture as much as sport. There are so many defining moments throughout its history, and Guinness is proud to be a longstanding part of that history. As we step into a new chapter with the Championship, our continued partnership with Six Nations demonstrates our shared commitment to grow both the women's & men's game and create moments for players and fans to savour.
The 2025 Guinness Men’s Six Nations kickstarts a huge year of rugby; with the Women’s Championship taking centre stage after the men’s fixtures conclude, friends and families are encouraged to come together to enjoy months of unmissable experiences and sporting drama. Rugby brings people together in a way unlike any other sport, and Guinness is proud to serve diverse communities around the world
and continue to champion diversity and inclusion across rugby and everything else that we do. We are committed to helping make each incredible moment of these Championships matter to the fans, enriching the experience for everyone.”
