Six Nations Rugby Competition: The Stakes High as Weekend Approaches
Ready for the Six Nations Finale? The final weekend of the Six Nations tournament is upon us, brimming with more than just glory on the line. Each team has a tantalizing pot of prize money up for grabs, ensuring every match counts and no game is a mere formality. Quintin van Jaarsveld shares his insights.
At the top of the table, Ireland, with 16 points, has one hand on the title and the lucrative winner's purse. However, second-placed England, with 12 points, is poised to seize the title if Ireland falters against Scotland, while simultaneously defeating France. The Scottish and French sides, both on 11 points, hold a slim mathematical chance of clinching the crown.
Italy sits in fifth place with eight points, facing winless Wales in their upcoming clash. Wales, with just three points, is at risk of taking home the wooden spoon. While players may not be primarily driven by monetary rewards, they compete out of a love for the game, national pride, and the allure of silverware, with any additional funds serving as just a bonus.
Meanwhile, the figures behind the scenes tell a different story. The tournament boasts a total prize pot of £16.5 million, with the champions taking home £5 million, the runners-up receiving £3.5 million, third place earning £2.5 million, and fourth, fifth, and sixth placed teams pocketing £2 million, £1.5 million, and £1 million, respectively. A Grand Slam bonus worth £1 million is reserved for a team completing a clean sweep, but since this year's contenders have fallen short, the money has been divided among the remaining teams (£200,000 per country).
Ireland has an opportunity to seize back-to-back titles and the £5 million winner's purse if they secure two points from their high-stakes home encounter against Scotland. This would set England and France on a collision course in Lyon to battle for the £3.5 million runners-up prize.
In Cardiff, Italy could potentially finish as high as third, but that outcome seems unlikely. Wales, meanwhile, aims for a bonus-point victory and hindering the Azzurri's log points progression, not for the extra £500,000, but to steer clear of the wooden spoon.
Quintin van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. With over 15 years' worth of experience, van Jaarsveld has served as a sports editor, Outstanding Journalist of the Year award winner, deputy editor, editor, and senior staff writer for various prominent publications.
- With the Six Nations Finale approaching, the potential for last-minute changes in the rankings and prize money distribution is high, as Ireland, England, Scotland, and France battle it out for the champion's £5 million prize.
- The English side, lying second in the table, stands a chance of winning the tournament if Ireland falters and they manage to defeat France, but the lucrative betting market remains wide open, given the unpredictability of the Six Nations.
