The Six Nations Championship has long been the most highly anticipated rugby competition in the northern hemisphere, but this year's tournament is set to break with tradition. The championship will kick off on a Thursday evening, when Ireland takes on France at the Stade de France.
While the start time may raise some eyebrows among fans, it's worth noting that playing on a Thursday isn't entirely new to the Six Nations Championship. In fact, one game was played on a Thursday back in 1948 – and Irish fans will be thrilled to know that their side came out on top that year, winning a Grand Slam.
However, this year's early start is largely due to television scheduling. The opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics is scheduled for Friday night, and by bringing the Six Nations Championship forward 24 hours, organizers hope to avoid conflicting with the broadcast schedule.
So while playing on a Thursday is not entirely novel in the history of the Six Nations, it's certainly unusual in recent years. With Ireland facing France at the Stade de France, fans will be eager to see if this unorthodox start sets the tone for an exciting tournament.
While the start time may raise some eyebrows among fans, it's worth noting that playing on a Thursday isn't entirely new to the Six Nations Championship. In fact, one game was played on a Thursday back in 1948 – and Irish fans will be thrilled to know that their side came out on top that year, winning a Grand Slam.
However, this year's early start is largely due to television scheduling. The opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics is scheduled for Friday night, and by bringing the Six Nations Championship forward 24 hours, organizers hope to avoid conflicting with the broadcast schedule.
So while playing on a Thursday is not entirely novel in the history of the Six Nations, it's certainly unusual in recent years. With Ireland facing France at the Stade de France, fans will be eager to see if this unorthodox start sets the tone for an exciting tournament.
. It's interesting that it's been done before in 1948 and they still managed to pull off a Grand Slam - that's some serious skill on display! But I get why TV schedulers want to avoid clashing with the Milan Olympics, that can be tough. Either way, it'll be awesome to see the Ireland v France match go down 
...can't wait for the highlights!
, but playing a major rugby event on a weekday evening might not be ideal for fans who have work or school the next day 
. It feels like it's going to be a bit of an early night for everyone involved! Plus, is Ireland really up for facing France at 7:30 PM on a Thursday? That's some serious timing for their team bus ride from training 
...
. What do u think? Should we adapt or stick with the usual Sunday kick-off 
. playing on a thursday is cool and all but it feels like just another way to change things for no good reason. what's wrong with having the whole weekend to look forward to? 
, they're just giving fans more options, you know? And who knows, maybe playing on a Thursday will bring some fresh energy to the tournament 
️. Plus, it's awesome that Ireland is getting a chance to kick off on a positive note after that 1948 win 
. And let's be real, it's not like they're going to conflict with anything too big and bad 
. It's just TV scheduling being all about being flexible and stuff. I think this new start could be a breath of fresh air for the Six Nations 
!
I mean, who thought it was a good idea to have a major sports event kick off at 8pm on a weeknight? It's like they want us to just stay up all night and watch the game. And what about people with actual jobs? Do they get to take a three-day weekend to watch rugby? I'm not buying it. They're just trying to squeeze in more ad breaks for the TV sponsors...
. And what about the fans who have to work the next day? Are they just gonna have to sacrifice their Friday morning? 
. Let's hope this early start doesn't mess with the atmosphere of the tournament... 