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. The Six Nations committee also 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 now requires players to wear their names on the back of their shirts in the Six Nations.
What games will the change affect?
The change will primarily be seen in the Six Nations fixtures played between the three sides who wear blue: France, Italy and Scotland.
In 2026, we’ve already seen Scotland wear their light purple change strip for their trip to Rome over the Six Nations’ opening weekend. In round 3, Italy will change when they play France in Lille, and in round 4, France will wear an away kit when they play Scotland at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.
The new directive now affects Ireland v Wales too, thanks to World Rugby’s new colour blindness guidelines which dictate that one of them must also change their shirts. This year, Wales will wear a change strip when they visit the Aviva Stadium in March.
We have also seen the new convention applied in the Autumn Nations Series, when New Zealand wore white for their 2024 trip to the Stade de France.
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