Why late winter belongs to rugby
Every year, from early February to the middle of March, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy play each other in the Six Nations Championship. Five rounds, fifteen matches, a couple of rest weekends and an awful lot of emotion. For many rugby fans in the UK, it is the highlight of the year, and it rearranges everything around it: weekends, social plans, moods and, yes, relationships.
Seeing someone who lives for the championship? Or trying to date while you yourself are glued to it? Read on. It is partly practical and partly tongue in cheek, because the best way to survive the Six Nations as a couple is to keep your sense of humour.
Planning dates around fixture weekends
The first rule is simple: check the fixtures before you make plans. Matches usually fall on Saturdays, with some on Friday evenings or Sunday afternoons. Each team plays every other team once, so a fan will have a game to watch on most weekends, plus the matches between other nations that they will probably want to see too.
Rest weekends are your friend. There are usually two in the championship, and they are the ideal moment for a date that needs a whole Saturday, such as a day trip or a long lunch. Friday evenings without a match are also good for dinner.
If you are early in dating someone, avoid suggesting a first meeting that clashes with their country's game. You will not have their full attention, and they may quietly resent you for it. Instead, suggest the morning after a win, when spirits are high, or a midweek evening when the next round is still days away.
Watching together for the first time
Inviting a new partner to watch a Six Nations match is a significant step for many fans. Think about the setting:
- At home, you can explain the game, pause for snacks and keep the volume of shouting under control.
- In a pub, the atmosphere is electric but conversation is limited. Book a table and arrive early.
- At the stadium, it is unforgettable but intense. Save it for when you know each other well.
If your partner is new to rugby, give them a simple guide before kick-off: who is playing, what is at stake and one or two players to watch. Resist the urge to commentate every phase. Let them enjoy the noise and colour first; the laws can come later.
Mixed loyalties: dating a fan of another nation
The Six Nations brings together neighbours with long and complicated histories, and rivalries run deep. Dating someone who supports a different country can be enormous fun, provided you set a few ground rules:
- Gloat in moderation. A cheeky text after a win is fine. Three days of reminders is not.
- Respect the anthem. Whatever you think of their team, stand for their anthem if you are watching together.
- Agree a forfeit. Some couples make a friendly bet: the loser cooks dinner, wears the winner's scarf or chooses the next film.
- Know when to stop. If a result genuinely hurts your partner, offer sympathy rather than jokes.
There is something lovely about a couple who can cheer against each other for eighty minutes and share a drink afterwards. It is rugby's values in miniature.
When only one of you loves it
If you are a devoted fan and your partner is not, the championship can be a test. Be clear about which matches matter most to you, and offer something in return: perhaps you watch your country's games, but the rest of the weekend is theirs. Plan a nice evening for a rest weekend. Striking that balance gets a guide of its own.
If you are the non-fan, it may help to see the championship as a short, intense season rather than a permanent state of affairs. It is over by the middle of March. You might even find you enjoy one or two matches, particularly with good company and a decent roast.
Hosting a Six Nations gathering
Some couples love hosting friends for a big match. If you do, plan food that can be eaten standing up, make sure there are enough seats and decide in advance whether the television stays on for the post-match analysis. If your guests support different teams, keep the banter friendly and the drinks flowing at a sensible rate.
Dating through a tough result
Rugby fans feel defeats deeply. If your partner's team has just lost, give them a little space before suggesting the cinema. A bacon roll, a walk and a sympathetic ear are often more welcome than attempts to cheer them up with jokes. And if their team has just won a championship decider, accept that you may hear about it for some weeks.
After the final whistle
When the last round ends, many fans feel a kind of post-tournament gloom. Weekends feel empty, and the club season resumes without quite the same sparkle. It is a great moment to plan something together: a spring weekend away, a new restaurant or simply a Saturday with no screens at all.
Starting to date during the championship
Some people find the Six Nations a good time to begin dating. There is a ready-made topic of conversation, a natural setting for a casual meet-up and plenty of goodwill in the air. Others prefer to wait until the dust settles. Either is fine. If you start chatting to someone during the championship, try to meet on a weekday or a rest weekend so you are not competing with a big match for their attention.
Food, drink and the morning after
Big match days often mean long afternoons in a pub or a crowded living room. If you are watching with someone you have only just met, eat well before kick-off, alternate drinks with water and agree in advance roughly when the day will end. Waking up embarrassed after a final-round celebration is not the romantic story either of you wants.
If you are hosting, a big pot of something warm that people can help themselves to keeps the atmosphere relaxed, and it lets you watch without disappearing into the kitchen.
The weeks without rugby
The championship has rest weekends between rounds. Use them. Plan a date that has nothing to do with sport, see friends who do not follow the game and catch up on the life you set aside. Your partner will notice.
Ready for the next round
If you would like to watch next year's championship with someone who understands, Signup Here and start the conversation before the first kick-off.