Six Nations 2024: Fixtures, squads, how to get tickets and more
France and Ireland have both named strong 23s for tonight’s crunch clash in Marseille.
The two teams are having to make do without their talismans – France scrum-half Antoine Dupont will miss the entire Six Nations to focus on the Olympics, while Johnny Sexton has retired – but it offers the chance for fresh faces to push their claims.
England are also without key players, although this is mainly down to injury. George Ford starts at fly-half against Italy on Saturday in the absence of Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith, with Alex Mitchell passing a late fitness test to claim the No 9 jersey.
When is the 2024 Six Nations?
The 2024 Six Nations gets under way tonight, Feb 2, 2024, at 8pm (UK time) as France host champions Ireland.
The last time either team stepped on to the field at the Stade de France was for the World Cup quarter-finals in October, when they were knocked out of the tournament on successive nights.
England kick off their tournament against Italy at 2.15pm (UK time) on Feb 3. Steve Borthwick’s side will be hoping to improve on their previous showing at the Six Nations after finishing fourth in the standings with 10 points, 17 points behind the winners, Ireland.
How to watch the 2024 Six Nations on TV
Fixtures this year will continue to be shown on both BBC and ITV in the UK. Live streams will be available for free on the BBC iPlayer and ITVX apps, and will be available to download on mobile or tablet devices.
The long-term future of the Six Nations on free-to-air TV is uncertain after the government rejected calls to add the tournament to the list of sporting events that must be shown for free.
2024 Six Nations fixtures in full
All times GMT
Round one
Friday, February 2: France v Ireland
Kick-off: 8pm
Venue: Oranage Velodrome, Marseille
Referee: Karl Dickinson (ENG)
Channel: ITV
Saturday, February 3: Italy v England
Kick-off : 2.15pm
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Referee: Paul Williams (NZ)
Channel: ITV
Saturday February 3: Wales v Scotland
Kick-off: 4.45pm
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Ben O’Keefe (NZ)
Channel: BBC
Round two
Saturday, February 10: Scotland v France
Kick-off: 2.15pm
Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Nic Berry (Aus)
Channel: BBC
Saturday, February 10: England v Wales
Kick-off: 4.45pm
Venue: Twickenham Stadium, London
Referee: James Doleman (NZ)
Channel: ITV
Sunday, February 11: Ireland v Italy
Kick-off: 3pm
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Pierrre Brousset (Fra)
Channel: ITV
Round three
Saturday, February 24: Ireland v Wales
Kick-off: 2.15pm
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)
Channel: ITV
Saturday, February 24: Scotland v England
Kick-off: 4.45pm
Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ire)
Channel: BBC
Sunday, February 25: France v Italy
Kick-off: 3pm
Venue: Decathlon Arena, Lille
Referee: Christophe Ridley (ENG)
Channel: ITV
Round four
Saturday, March 9: Italy v Scotland
Kick-off: 2.15pm
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SA)
Channel: ITV
Saturday, March 9: England v Ireland
Kick-off: 4.45pm
Venue: Twickenham Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
Channel: ITV
Sunday, March 10: Wales v France
Kick-off: 3pm
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Luke Pearce (ENG)
Channel: BBC
Round five
Saturday, March 16: Wales v Italy,
Kick-off: 2.15pm
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
Channel: BBC
Saturday, March 16: Ireland v Scotland
Kick-off: 4.45pm
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Matthew Carley (ENG)
Channel: ITV
Saturday, March 16: France v England
Kick-off: 8pm
Venue: Groupama Stadium, Lyon
Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus)
Channel: ITV
Latest England team news
England have given debuts to centre Fraser Dingwall and flanker Ethan Roots.
Head coach Steve Borthwick has also named three uncapped players on the bench in back-rower Chandler Cunningham-South, fly-half Fin Smith and wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
Alex Mitchell has overcome an infected cut on his leg to form a half-back axis with George Ford, who is named as one of two vice-captains alongside Maro Itoje with Jamie George leading the team out at the Stadio Olimpico.
Ford has edged rookie Fin Smith for the No 10 jersey after Marcus Smith was ruled out of the round one clash because of a calf problem and he will direct a midfield partnership of Dingwall and Henry Slade.
Tommy Freeman wins his fourth cap and first since 2022 on the right wing as reward for an impressive season at Gallagher Premiership pace-setters Northampton, who also supply Dingwall and Mitchell to the starting back line.
Joe Marler and Will Stuart are the preferred props, keeping Ellis Genge and Dan Cole on the bench, while Itoje and Ollie Chessum are paired together in a familiar-looking lock duo.
What are the squads of the Six Nations?
Who is in the England squad?
Who is in the Wales squad?
Wales coach Warren Gatland has named Dafydd Jenkins as his captain. At 21, Jenkins has just 12 caps to his name and, in the absence of Jac Morgan and the injured Dewi Lake, will become the second-youngest man to captain his country.
Gatland has named five uncapped players in his squad, with a further six named yet to make a Six Nations appearance. Louis Rees-Zammit is not in the squad after his decision to attempt to join the NFL.
Who is in the Scotland squad?
England under-18 and under-20 winger Arron Reed has been named in Scotland’s 39-man squad. Coach Gregor Townsend has named Finn Russell and Rory Darge as co-captains for the tournament.
Who is in the France squad?
Emmanuel Meafou, Toulouse’s New Zealand-born behemoth, has moved a step closer to a France debut after being included as one of six uncapped players in Fabien Galthié‘s Six Nations squad.
Meafou, who only became eligible for Les Bleus after last year’s World Cup having qualified on residency, has made a name for himself since his 2019 arrival in Toulouse as one of Europe’s heaviest-hitting forwards.
In the absence of Antoine Dupont, who will miss the entire Six Nations in order to focus on a potential sevens appearance at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, La Rochelle skipper Grégory Alldritt will captain France.
Who is in the Italy squad?
The headline news from Italy’s squad announcement is the selection of South African-born back-rower Ross Vintcent.
Who is in the Ireland squad?
Experienced Munster backrow Peter O’Mahony was named as the new Ireland captain as Farrell began the post-Johnny Sexton era by naming a mostly experienced 34-man squad to defend their Six Nations title.
O’Mahony, 34, has captained the side 10 times before having led Ireland at underage levels before winning his first of his 101 caps. He has also skippered Munster for years and captained the British & Irish Lions in the opening test of the 2017 tour.
Who are the favourites to win the 2024 Six Nations?
Ireland and France are the bookies’ favourites, with England a little way behind. Scotland, Wales and Italy are not favoured.
France to win: 5/4
Ireland to win: 15/8
England to win: 13/2
Scotland to win: 12/1
Wales to win: 50/1
Italy to win: 500/1
Odds correct on February 2
Who are the referees?
Karl Dickson will referee the Six Nations opener which pits 2023 Grand Slam winners Ireland against 2022 champions France.
Eight assistant referees will be making their Six Nations debut including Scotland’s Hollie Davidson.
Read the full list of referee appointments here.
How do I get tickets for matches?
You should consult each country’s individual union website for information about tickets to matches. Availability will vary greatly depending on which fixture you are hoping to get tickets for.
