RBS Six Nations Rugby
The 2010 RBS Six Nations kicks off on 6 February when current Grand Slam holders Ireland host Italy at Croke Park, followed later that day by England v Wales. The last games of the championship will be on 20 March.
A brief history of the RBS Six Nations
In 1871, England and Scotland played the first rugby union international. After 12 years of occasional friendly matches between the teams, the inaugural Home International Championship, comprising England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales was played in 1883.
In 1910 the French, who had played in four of the tournaments up to that point, officially joined the competition and coined the phrase ‘Five Nations’. In 2000 Italy joined the competition, and the tournament became known as the ‘Six Nations Championship’.
Weather information for the RBS Six Nations championship
Met
Office five-day forecasts are available for the following RBS Six Nations’ venues.
- Twickenham, London
- Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
- Murrayfield, Edinburgh
- Croke Park, Dublin
- Stade de France, Paris
- Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Weather conditions and rugby
Rugby, like all outdoor events, can be affected by the weather. This season alone the snow in January has affected Rugby Union games throughout Europe — causing concerns about some fixtures affecting the championship games. Teams have to assess what the conditions are going to be and what they are during the game and adapt their tactics to suit the conditions.
Rain
Rain can affect the state of the pitch and visibility while playing. A lot of the bigger clubs have underground draining systems so the surface doesn’t get too wet and covered in puddles. Even with studded boots, getting good grip on wet ground is hard and if the ground is quite soft, it will slow the players down, and tire them out quicker.
With poor visibility, long passes or kicks are likely to be reduced and short passes will most likely be the norm.
Outdoor events
Every outdoor event is vulnerable to the weather. Spectators, participants and organisers all need to know how much rain to expect or whether the wind will increase or decrease. We can help inform anyone involved planning or attending an event.
Wind
The design of rugby stadiums can play a part in the impact of the weather; Landsdowne Road, the previous home of the Ireland team, was notorious for being windy. If it is particularly windy, teams are likely to choose to play into the wind in the first half and then use it to their advantage in the latter stages of the game to kick the ball further.
Kicking towards the goal is more difficult, and the players will have to take note of the way the wind is blowing as it will affect which direction to aim in, and how hard the ball needs to be kicked.
Sun
If the sun shines into the eyes of the players they may temporarily not be able to see their team mates, so increases the margin of error when passing. It can however be used as an advantage, by confusing or off-putting the opposition, especially with things like chip-kicks
