Products You May Like
The Six Nations has abandoned its decades-old convention of asking the home side to change shirts in the event of a kit clash
It was a long-standing tradition in the Six Nations Championship that, in the event of a kit clash with the opposition, it would be the home side who wore alternative shirts. Since 2024, however, the tournament has followed the long-standing example of football by asking the visitors to make the change.
Why did the home team wear ‘away’ shirts in the past?
The convention of the home team wearing away shirts operated in the Five/Six Nations for over 75 years. It may seem counterintuitive but the tradition was entirely logical in the amateur era, when the hosts were more likely to have alternative kit readily available. Even now, those in the game say they have to work out which kits will be required for an upcoming tour well in advance.
The old tradition may also be a nod to the ‘values’ of the game, with the home side expected to make the concession as a welcoming gesture to their guests.
Why is it now the away team who makes the switch?
According to the Telegraph, the move is designed to make the game more attractive to casual viewers as the sport tries to pull in new fans – some of them coming to the game via Netflix documentary Full Contact. (A second season lands on 29 January.) The Six Nations committee reportedly want to make sure playing at home confers full home advantage, and that includes teams wearing their first choice colours in front of their own supporters.
Another “modernising” initiative requires players to wear their names on the back of their shirts in the Six Nations.
What games will the change affect?
When Scotland ran out against France in the second round of last year’s Championship, it was believed to be the first time Les Bleus had worn white at Murrayfield since the 1940s. France then wore their traditional blue at home to Italy, while Scotland wore white when they travelled to Rome a few weeks later.
Across the 2025 Six Nations fixtures, Scotland will wear blue against Italy in week 1, Italy will wear blue against France in week 3, and France will wear blue against Scotland in week 5.
The change will affect Wales v Ireland, too, now that World Rugby’s new colour blindness guidelines dictate that one of them must also change their shirts. This year, Ireland will wear an away strip when they visit the Principality Stadium in late February.
We also saw the new convention applied in the 2024 Autumn Nations Series, when New Zealand wore white for their trip to the Stade de France.
Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.