Six Nations Rugby

One in Six!

It's that time of year again......

Here at the Oakeley, we LOVE the Six Nations Rugby Championship - any excuse to cheer on the Wales team!

This year we'll be wishing them lots of luck, as they battle it out against the other teams to bring home the prestigious title; and perhaps settle a few scores against World Cup rivals, France....

The first game kicks off on the 4th February, and the first Wales game (against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium) is on the 5th Feb at 15:00.

Here's some facts about the Six Nations Championship, that you might not know!....

•  The Five Nations Championship (the Six Nations' predecessor before Italy joined) was the first international rugby union tournament in the Northern Hemisphere.
• The 'Grand Slam' is awarded to a team that wins all its games. Wales won the Grand Slam in 1908 and 1909, and a further 8 times after that. England is the current record holder - with 12 grand slams in total.
• Wales has a total of 20 'Triple Crowns' - when a home nation team beats any of the other three home nations (Scotland, Wales, England and Ireland).
• The Calcutta Cup is the game that takes place during the Six Nations between England and Scotland. It is so called because the cup is made of melted down Indian rupees.
• The Six Nations trophy is estimated to be worth over £50,000. It was originally made from silver but the inside got so corroded from being filled with all that champagne, that it is now lined with a gold coating to protect it.
• Twickenham Stadium is the venue with the largest capacity - at 82,000. The Aviva Stadium in Dublin is the smallest, with just 51,700.
• The first Women's Six Nations Championship was held in 2002. It runs to the same schedule as the men's contest.
• Eifion Lewis-Roberts is the heaviest ever Wales player - weighing in at a whopping 132kg, that's almost 21 stone!
• And Derwyn Jones is the tallest - at almost 6'10"
• England are the current title holders - come on Wales! You can do it in 2012!

And best of all - at the Oakeley Arms, there'll be a free bowl of home-made chilli or curry for everyone at the bar during any of Wales' Six Nations games.

See you soon!