The 2026 Guinness Six Nations Championship commenced last night – France cruised to a 36-14 win over Ireland – with televisual considerations dictating the unusual Thursday-evening slot, seeking to avoid a clash with the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
That the game was in Paris meant that the sponsors couldn’t avail of full brand awareness due to French alcohol advertising laws – instead, the promotional material, including the sleeve patches on the jerseys, proclaims ‘Greatness’.
Visually – it was a fairly classic look, at least from a distance.
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France, back in adidas since 2024, are in their traditional tricolore format, having experimented with various different shades of blues and different shorts/socks looks in recent decades.
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While they have the new ‘fatter’ adidas stripes, they don’t have the classic white-blue-white-red-white layout to reference the country’s flag but hopefully it will return.
Where France, and others, have gone with varying approaches in the commercial era, Ireland are the only major European country to have kept their basic look of green jerseys, white shorts and green socks.
Apart from a five-year interlude with Puma from 2009-14, Ireland have been outfitted by Canterbury since 2000. It’s hard to keep coming up with something new in such a landscape – especially as national teams are now on a one-year cycle too – but, after last year’s plain and classy 150th anniversary shirt was universally well-received, the response has been to revert to a nondescript pattern on the torso and a mix of greens.
One other thing of note is that, along with players’ names now being on the back of shirts – though they are still numbered 1-15 – the inscriptions are now personalised too, noting the number of caps for each along with the match details. Previously, these would have been sited below the crest but now they are towards the lower part of the jersey.
This weekend will see Wales take on England while Italy welcome Scotland, who will be in their new pink alternative strip – up until 2024, the home team would change kit, a tradition dating back to the days of host sides being more likely to have a backup set to hand if a clash arose.
It was a nice tradition but, much like the schedule being dictated by an event taking place in a different country, such is the modern world.
And as usual we’ll get battered by the old enemy at Twickers … Welsh rugby is at its worst stare of affairs ever 🙈
“State” even… not “stare”. No, I have not been on the Guinness, yet… that’s tomorrow! 😅
Hope you were mainlining the Guinness for your own sake, John!