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For the first time in the competition’s history, the 2011 Six Nations Championship will start with a Friday evening fixture. This departure from tradition has been driven by television paymasters hoping for bumper viewing figures for what is always one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures of the tournament, Wales versus England.
France will kick off their defence of their Grand Slam with a tricky tier against a much improved Scotland, whilst Ireland will take flight to Rome.
The second week of matches will see Ireland welcome France to Dublin for the first Six Nations fixture at the rebuilt Lansdowne Road, now renamed the Aviva Stadium. Many have criticised the IRFU for moving back to the site of their old ground after a number of years at the magnificent Croke Park, which holds 30,000 more supporters, but the income streams from the new stadium and the control of their own destiny made the move inevitable.
The Six Nations tournament will run its usual 7 week course with games being played on the first two weekends, a weekend off followed by a game with a rest week after it and a final set of back to back games. This format will once again test the squad depths of the competing nations as well as making it an exciting spectacle for the fans.
The final weekend will see all six teams play in a ‘Super Saturday’ format. The final game, which the organisers will be hoping will decide the championship will be Wales v France at Cardiff.
2011 FIXTURES
All times are local
Friday, 4 February
19:45 Wales v England – Millennium Stadium
Saturday 5, February
14:30 Italy v Ireland – Stadio Flaminio
17:00 France v Scotland – Stade de France
Saturday 12, February
14:30 England v Italy – Twickenham
17:00 Scotland v Wales – Murrayfield
Sunday 13, February
15:00 Ireland v France – Aviva Stadium
Saturday 26, February
14:30 Italy v Wales – Stadio Flaminio
17:00 England v France – Twickenham
Sunday 27, February
15:00 Scotland v Ireland – Murrayfield
Saturday 12, March
14:30 Italy v France – Stadio Flaminio
17:00 Wales v Ireland – Millennium Stadium
Sunday 13, March
15:00 England v Scotland- Twickenham
Saturday 19, March
14:30 Scotland v Italy – Murrayfield
17:00 Ireland v England – Aviva Stadium
19:45 Wales v France – Millennium Stadium
How to Buy Six Nations Rugby Tickets
Six Nations tickets are readily available for games at some stadia, especially Stade de France in Paris and Murrayfield in Scotland, but the majority of games are instant sell outs. High price Six Nations tickets are usually available through secondary sellers, but there is a danger of forgery or fraud.
A number of Six Nations tickets are usually allocated to local rugby clubs affiliated to the home union and many distribute them to club members through a draw. However, there is an increasing trend to raise revenue for the club by selling them on to Corporate hospitality companies or in exchange for sponsorship.
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