The 2026 Guinness Six Nations gets under way in early February, with Wales facing a tough run of fixtures as they look to turn around recent form in rugby’s biggest annual tournament.
The championship begins on Thursday, 5 February, with defending champions France hosting 2024 winners Ireland at the Stade de France in Paris. England, France and Ireland are widely tipped as favourites for the title this year.
Wales start their campaign on Saturday, 7 February, with a daunting trip to face England at Allianz Stadium. England come into the tournament on an 11 match winning run and are chasing their first Six Nations title since 2020. Kick off is at 16:40.
Round two sees Wales return home on Sunday, 15 February, to take on France, with kick off at 15:10. France have been one of the dominant forces in recent seasons and this will be another major test for a Welsh side trying to rebuild confidence.
Wales then host Scotland on Saturday, 21 February, with kick off at 16:40. This match comes at the end of the third round, after which the tournament’s only fallow week takes place. There will be no break earlier in the competition this year.
After the fallow week, Wales travel to Dublin to face Ireland on Friday, 6 March, in a Friday night fixture kicking off at 20:10. Ireland remain one of the strongest sides in world rugby and will be targeting another title challenge.
Wales round off their campaign at home against Italy on Saturday, 14 March, with a 16:40 kick off. The final day of the tournament also features France v England in Paris, which brings the 2026 Six Nations to a close.
Wales Six Nations 2026 fixtures and kick off times
- England v Wales, Saturday 7 February, 16:40
- Wales v France, Sunday 15 February, 15:10
- Wales v Scotland, Saturday 21 February, 16:40
- Ireland v Wales, Friday 6 March, 20:10
- Wales v Italy, Saturday 14 March, 16:40
How to follow Wales on TV
The BBC will show one match per round on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. Wales matches on the BBC include the home games against France, Scotland and Italy.
Following a new four year deal signed last year, all other matches will be shown on ITV, including every England fixture. ITV’s coverage begins with France v Ireland on Thursday, 5 February, and concludes on Saturday, 14 March, with Ireland v Scotland followed by France v England.
Recent form and context
The last time Wales won the Six Nations was in 2019. Since then, results have been difficult, with Wales failing to win a single match in both the 2024 and 2025 tournaments. The 2026 championship represents another opportunity to reset and show progress against some of the strongest teams in the northern hemisphere.
Wales squad news
Ospreys second row Rhys Davies has been called up to the Wales squad, taking the total number of players to 39. He joins the group as preparations continue for the opening match against England.
Dewi Lake has been named captain for the tournament, leading a squad that blends experience with younger talent as Wales look to compete strongly across all five rounds.
Wales squad for the 2026 Guinness Six Nations
Forwards
Adam Beard, Liam Belcher, James Botham, Rhys Carre, Ben Carter, Olly Cracknell, Rhys Davies, Harri Deaves, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis, Archie Griffin, Dafydd Jenkins, Dewi Lake captain, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Taine Plumtree, Nicky Smith, Gareth Thomas, Freddie Thomas, Aaron Wainwright, Sam Wainwright
Backs
Josh Adams, Sam Costelow, Dan Edwards, Jarrod Evans, Mason Grady, Kieran Hardy, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Joe Hawkins, Louie Hennessey, Eddie James, Ellis Mee, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Blair Murray, Louis Rees-Zammit, Tom Rogers, Ben Thomas, Owen Watkin, Tomos Williams
With a challenging fixture list and renewed focus within the squad, all eyes will be on how Wales perform when the Six Nations kicks off in February.
