France are chasing a Grand Slam in 2026 as they have been comfortable in their three wins so far this year. Victories against Scotland and England would see them win the first Grand Slam since 2023.
The Grand Slam is awarded to any team which wins all of their games in the Championship. In total, it has been completed on 42 occasions since 1908.
The definitive history of the Six Nations Grand Slam (1883-2026)
When the ‘Home Nations Championship’ began in 1883, it was a competition between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. If a team won all three of their matches, they would win the Triple Crown. In 1908 and 1909, fixtures were also played against France, even though they weren’t a part of the Championship. In 1910, France formally joined the competition, and it became the ‘Five Nations Championship’.
The title was not awarded from 1932 to 1946. In 1932, France were banned from the competition due to professionalism and administrative breaches and the tournament was also cancelled during World War 2.
In 2000, Italy were added to the Championship, and teams were required to win five matches to win the Grand Slam.
Grand Slam Leaderboard: Which nation is the most successful?
| Nation | Grand Slams | Won during the Five Nations (1908-1999) | Won in the Six Nations era (2000-now) |
| England | 13 | 1913,1914,1921,1923,1924,1928,1957,1980,1991,1992,1995 | 2003,2016 |
| Wales | 12 | 1908,1909,1911,1950,1952,1971,1976,1978 | 2005,2008,2012.2019 |
| France | 10 | 1968,1977,1981,1987,1997,1998 | 2002,2004,2010.2022 |
| Ireland | 4 | 1948 | 2009,2018,2023 |
| Scotland | 3 | 1925,1984,1990 | |
| Italy | 0 |
The nervous finals: the most dramatic deciders
The classic decider in recent memory came in 2009. Ireland won the Grand Slam, its first since 1948. They came into the match with the title essentially secured thanks to their superior points difference over Wales. Stephen Jones kicked 15 points for Wales, the last of which came from a 76th-minute drop goal, which put Wales one point ahead.
Ireland were able to respond, and two minutes later, Ronan O’Gara slotted a drop goal to put Ireland 17-15 ahead. Ireland gave away a penalty as the clock went into the red, and Stephen Jones, who hadn’t missed a kick in the game, had the chance to end Ireland’s Grand Slam hopes. The kick dropped just below the posts, and Ireland picked up their first Grand Slam in the modern era.
2021 saw another incredible decider as Wales were coming into the final game with four wins out of four. This version of the tournament so no fans in the stands after the Covid pandemic. This fixture was even more dramatic because it didn’t even finish in a Grand Slam. The match in Paris wasn’t France’s final game, as they had a game earlier in the tournament postponed.
Wales took a 30-20 lead going into the final 10 minutes, but with two yellow cards, France scored on 76 minutes to bring the game to 30-27. Wales had the ball at the halfway line as the clock crossed 79 minutes. All they had to do was protect the ball. They sealed off at the ruck, and France went down to deny the Welsh a Grand Slam with the clock in the red. Wales still won the Championship, but this feels a long way off from the current dark situation within Welsh rugby.
