Six Nations 2009 Question.

keitht

Hi Guys Six Nations 2009 when do the dates of the games come out. Im hoping to go to see Ireland play Italy in Rome Next year.

Thanks Guys

Downtime

Normally around Autumn if I am not mistaken. Next year one of the Ireland games is due to kick off at 9pm so this could be the Italy game. In 2010 games will be played on Friday nights as well apparently.

From This Is London....

The Six Nations rugby championship looks set to break with 100 years of tradition and stage Six Nations matches on Friday nights.

According to This is London, France and Wales will make history at the Stade de France in Paris on Friday, February 27 next year with a 9pm kick-off local time.

Should this match go ahead it will be the first Championship match played during the week since the launch of the world's oldest annual international tournament which began in 1883.

Sunday matches have become more and more common as television broadcasters get more power over tournament organisers.

Friday night matches have been pushed by TV broadcasters for two years and the Six Nations resisted the move for two years but have now crumbled under the pressure and the fixture will be officially announced next month.

Only one Friday night fixture is scheduled for 2009 and another one will be held at the Millennium Stadium in 2010.

A Six Nations spokesman said: 'We are looking at every aspect of promoting the championship. Friday night is an option instead of a Sunday and several big Friday night matches in Paris certainly worked during the World Cup.'

Ulstermell0

i heard about the friday night games in paris, but i'm pretty sure it's not official yet.

athtrasna

Dates should be announced by the end of this month!! I know because I booked our flights to Paris for this year's match on March 10th last year, 15 minutes after the dates were announced.

Downtime

athtrasna wrote: »

Dates should be announced by the end of this month!! I know because I booked our flights to Paris for this year's match on March 10th last year, 15 minutes after the dates were announced.

So true - official announcement on IRFU website on March 29th last year.

ozt9vdujny3srf

friday night matches is a great idea. Means I can head out all day saturday or sunday and not miss rugby.

keitht

Thanks for the info guys much appreciated. just one more thing would it be hard to get tickets for the Italy and ireland game and how would i go about getting tickets. I dont want to booked flights and not be able to get tickets.

Thanks again guys.

athtrasna

I have never had a problem getting tickets for away games. Sign up on the site of the team they're playing and they should have an option to keep informed of ticket sales. We do Edinburgh one year Paris the next and always get our tickets online through official links from the SRU/FFR.

An Tarbh

It says on the Six Nations site that they'll be anounced in early April, the good thing about this Friday night France Wales match means we'll probably get a Saturday evening kickoff for the England match at Croker.

sheepshagger

Downtime wrote: »

So true - official announcement on IRFU website on March 29th last year.

Would be good if they are that soon. . however none of the airlines are taking bookings that far forward . . .I rang Aer Lingus/Ryanair and asked when Feb/March 09 bookings would be allowed and they said 'the end of NEXT month' at the earliest. . .by then the prices will be skyhigh (direct flights anyway) :mad:

jamieh

Ireland Fixtures
Ireland V France - Croke Park, Saturday February 7th, 5 p.m.

Italy V Ireland - Stadio Flaminio, Sunday Februay 15th, 2:30 p.m.

Ireland V England - Croke Park, Saturday Februay 28th, 5:30 p.m.

Scotland V Ireland - Murrayfield, Saturday March 14th, 5 p.m.

Wales V Ireland - Milennium Stadium, Saturday March 21st, 5:30 p.m.

Full Fixtures
2009 RBS 6 NATIONS
(All kick-offs GMT)

Week 1
Saturday, 7 February
England v Italy - 3.00pm
Ireland v France - 5.00pm
Sunday, 8 February
Scotland v Wales - 3.00pm

Week 2
Saturday, 14 February
France v Scotland - 3.00pm
Wales v England - 5.30pm

Sunday 15 February
Italy v Ireland - 2.30pm

Week 3
21 / 22 February - Free

Week 4
Friday, 27 February
France v Wales - 8.00pm

Saturday, 28 February
Scotland v Italy - 3.00pm
Ireland v England - 5.30pm

Week 5
7/8 March - Free

Week 6
Saturday, 14 March
Italy v Wales - 3.00pm
Scotland v Ireland - 5.00pm

Sunday 15 March
England v France - 3.00pm

Week 7
Saturday, 21 March
Italy v France - 1.15pm
England v Scotland - 3.30pm
Wales v Ireland - 5.30pm

patmac

Trying to book in Wales but no joy, any luck anyone?

Snickers Man

What are the Frogs playing at? A game in St Denis starting at 8pm (I assume that's local time) which means that you won't be getting out of there until about 10pm on a Friday night?

And St Denis is one featureless suburb. It's the sort of place you just get the hell out of FAST. It's not like tumbling out of Lansdowne Road and into the nearest pub. You're talking a hefty train ride back into the middle of Paris. I can't see too many Welsh fans going there.

In fact, I would actively encourage them to boycott it so maybe we can get back to proper Rugby weekends. Where the festivities go on all day and you can get to bed in time to get up for work on Monday.

Don't like this Friday night thing at all.