Six Nations 2024: France vs Ireland is first game with England potentially heading to Marseille

Next year’s Six Nations will kick off with a standout matchup under the lights between the two best teams in the world, as France host Ireland on Friday 2 February 2024.

The main game will kick off at 8:00pm UK time, but venues for that and other France home games are still being decided.

While last year’s Grand Slam champions normally play at the Stade de France; that’s off limits, as it’s gearing up to become the centerpiece of the Paris Olympics next summer.

England will be away from home for ‘Le Crunch’ as ​​the culmination of their campaign on March 16, 2024 and the national team can find themselves in familiar surroundings.

The Stade Velodrome in Marseille is understood to be under consideration to host France’s games and the imposing, renovated 66,000-capacity arena is where Steve Borthwick’s team will play their World Cup opener against Argentina in September, and will return for a likely quarterfinal weeks. later.

In the first round of the upcoming annual European Championship, England will take on Italy in Rome on February 3 at 2:15pm UK time.

They then host Wales at Twickenham with a late afternoon kick-off on February 10, followed by a clash with Scotland at Murrayfield on February 24, also starting at 4.45pm prime time.

Ireland will arrive in south-west London on March 9, meaning four of England’s games in 2024 will be on Saturday afternoons.

Wales will finish off Italy in Cardiff on March 16 (2:15pm kickoff) in the hopes that the Azzurri won’t gank them there like they did last year.

That game is the first installment of the ‘Super Saturday’ grandstand show that has become a traditional finale to the tournament, followed by Ireland vs. Scotland (4:45pm kick-off) in Dublin and France vs. England (4:45pm kick-off). from 8:00 p.m.). hours later.