Six Nations fallow weeks have been built into championship’s schedule for years. For some they’re a chance for some much needed rest and recuperation, while others see them as a stick in the spokes of the tournament’s momentum.
Thanks to a format change brought in for the 2026 competition – partly to create an extra international weekend to accommodate the new Nations Championship – there will be one fewer fallow week than in recent years. Players now get their sole weekend off after the upcoming third round of matches.
This means the entire tournament will be complete a little over five weeks. This is undoubtedly great for fans and the media, but the new format is sure to raise a few questions about player welfare – and challenge squad depth – as the sides play three Tests in the space of a fortnight.
What do Six Nations fallow weeks involve?
There will be no Six Nations fixtures over the weekend of 28 February-1 March 2026. The tournament will resume on Friday 6 March, when Ireland host Wales in Dublin.
With a break in Test action, domestic leagues can resume for the weekend. This usually means a full slate of games in both the United Rugby Championship and France’s Top 14. With the Gallagher Premiership now featuring just 10 teams, the tournament can afford to go into hiatus for the duration of the Six Nations, but the Premiership Rugby Cup continues in the meantime.
Some Six Nations squad players may return to their clubs over the Six Nations fallow week, especially if their national coach decides they need extra game time. But it’s also known for teams to train in international camp for three days, and then let players go home and spend time with their families and friends. Then preparation can resume in earnest for the next Six Nations game.
Have there always been Six Nations fallow weeks?
When Italy joined the Six Nations in 2000, there were fallow (or rest) weeks between every round of fixtures, meaning that the competition ran from early February all the way through to the start of April.
This was also the norm in the old Five Nations, when there was traditionally a fortnight between fixtures. With the odd number of teams meaning that one had to sit out every round, sides regularly went four weeks between Five Nations games.
Between 2003 and 2025 the tournament followed a 2-1-2 format, with two fallow weeks built into the schedule – one after round 2 and another after round 3.
This has changed for the 2026 edition of the championship, which includes a single Six Nations fallow week after the third round of games. This new structure will allow the tournament to be done and dusted in the space of a media-friendly five weeks. In the ever-evolving rugby calendar, it will also release an extra international weekend for the first-ever Nations Championship, which is due to take place during the traditional November Test window from 2026 onwards.
But with player welfare an increasing priority, player representatives are likely to express concern about the pressures of playing five high-intensity Test matches over the course of six weekends. It is very physically demanding to play this level of rugby week in, week out, and few coaches will relish giving up the extra preparation time – especially if they are playing Sunday one week and Saturday the next (as Wales are this week).
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