Grand Slam (rugby union)

In rugby union, a Grand Slam[1] occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship (or its Five Nations predecessor) beats all the others during one year's competition. This has been achieved 42 times in total, for the first time by Wales in 1908, and most recently by the Irish team in 2023. The team with the most Grand Slams is England with 13. It can also apply to the U20 and Women's Six Nations Championships.

For other uses, see Grand Slam.

In another context, a Grand Slam tour refers to a touring side – South Africa, Australia or New Zealand – which plays fixtures against all four home nations (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) during their tour. If the tourists win all of those matches, they are said to have achieved a Grand Slam. This has been done nine times, first by South Africa in 1912–13, and most recently by New Zealand in 2010.

Five and Six Nations Grand Slams

In the annual Six Nations Championship (among England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy), and its predecessor the Five Nations Championship (before Italy joined in 2000), a Grand Slam occurs when one team beats all of the others during one year's competition.[2] The Grand Slam winners are awarded the Six Nations trophy (as tournament winners), but there is no special grand slam trophy – the Grand Slam is an informal honour recognising a Championship-winning team which has won all their games.

A Grand Slam was therefore available in a total of 97 seasons to date. Grand Slams have been achieved 42 times – 13 by England, 12 by Wales, 10 by France, 4 by Ireland and 3 by Scotland. (Italy, involved in the tournament since 2000, have yet to win a Grand Slam.)

Two consecutive Grand Slams have been won by Wales in 1908–1909, by England in 1913–1914, 1923–1924 and 1991–1992, and by France in 1997–1998. No team has yet achieved three consecutive Grand Slams.

Prior to 2000, each team played four matches, two at home and two away from home. Following the inclusion of Italy in 2000, each team plays five matches, two at home and three away in one year, and the opposite in the following season. When Wales won the Grand Slam in 2005, it was the first time that the feat had been achieved by a team that had played more matches away than at home. This was repeated by Ireland in 2009 and 2023, by England in 2016, and by Wales in 2019.

Since 2017, the Six Nations Championship has used bonus points. A team that wins the Grand Slam will get three bonus points.[3] This eliminates the possibility of a Grand Slam winner losing the championship on bonus points.

Table of Grand Slam winners
Nation Grand Slams Grand Slam winning seasons
 England131913, 1914, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1928, 1957, 1980, 1991, 1992, 1995, 2003, 2016
 Wales121908, 1909, 1911, 1950, 1952, 1971, 1976, 1978, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2019
 France101968, 1977, 1981, 1987, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2022
 Ireland41948, 2009, 2018, 2023
 Scotland31925, 1984, 1990
 Italy0

* In 1908 and 1909 matches with France were played, although they were not part of the Championship.

Chronological list of Grand Slam winners
YearTeamNotes
Home Nations Championship
1908  Wales *see note above
1909  Wales *see note above
Five Nations Championship
1911  Wales Also with the Triple Crown.
1913  England Also with the Triple Crown.
1914  England Already won the Triple Crown.
1915–19 No tournament due to World War I
1921  England Already won the Triple Crown.
1923  England Already won the Triple Crown.
1924  England Also won the Triple Crown.
1925  Scotland Also won the Triple Crown.
1928  England Also won the Triple Crown.
1932–39 France was suspended from the Five Nations Championship
1940–46 No tournament due to World War II
1948  Ireland Also won the Triple Crown.
1950  Wales Already won the Triple Crown.
1952  Wales Already won the Triple Crown.
1957  England Already won the Triple Crown.
1968  France
1971  Wales Already won the Triple Crown.
1976  Wales Already won the Triple Crown.
1977  France
1978  Wales Already won the Triple Crown.
1980  England Also won the Triple Crown.
1981  France
1984  Scotland Already won the Triple Crown.
1987  France
1990  Scotland Also won the Triple Crown.
1991  England Already won the Triple Crown.
1992  England Also won the Triple Crown.
1995  England Also won the Triple Crown.
1997  France
1998  France
Six Nations Championship
2002  France
2003  England Also won the Triple Crown.
2004  France
2005  Wales Also won the Triple Crown.
2008  Wales Already won the Triple Crown.
2009  Ireland Also won the Triple Crown.
2010  France
2012  Wales Already won the Triple Crown.
2016  England Already won the Triple Crown.
2018  Ireland Also won the Triple Crown.
2019  Wales Also won the Triple Crown.
2022  France
2023  Ireland Also won the Triple Crown.

Grand Slam tours

A Grand Slam tour is one in which a touring national team from Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa plays Test matches against all four home nations (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales). If the tourists win all four of these games, they are said to have achieved a Grand Slam.

Some Grand Slam tours also include a Test match against France; South Africa achieved a "Five Nations Grand Slam" in 1912–13 and 1951–52.

Grand Slams by touring teams have been achieved nine times: four times each by South Africa and New Zealand, and once by Australia.

Australia is the only country to have lost against all four home nations during a Grand Slam tour, on their 1957–58 tour. Australia also lost to France on that tour.

After 1984, Southern Hemisphere sides started to tour the British Isles more frequently, but to play fewer Tests on each tour, and thus there were no Grand Slam tours between 1984 and 1998. However, since 1998 Grand Slam tours have again become quite common, as the number of Tests on each tour has increased. The All Blacks' tours of 2005 and 2008 were originally planned to include only three Test matches; the late inclusion of matches against Wales and England respectively turned these into Grand Slam tours.

Grand Slams achieved by touring sides
 South Africa 1912–13, 1931–32, 1951–52, 1960–61
 New Zealand 1978, 2005, 2008, 2010
 Australia 1984

Grand Slam tours
Year Team Ach­ieved W–D–L Scores
 England  Ireland  Scotland  Wales
1905–06  New Zealand No 3–0–1 15–0 15–0 12–7 0–3
1906–07  South Africa No 2–1–1 3–3 15–12 0–6 11–0
1912–13  South Africa Yes 4–0–0 9–3 38–0 16–0 3–0
1927–28  Australia No 2–0–2 11–18 5–3 8–10 18–8
1931–32  South Africa Yes 4–0–0 7–0 8–3 6–3 8–3
1935–36  New Zealand No 2–0–2 0–13 17–9 18–8 12–13
1939–40  Australia Cancelled due to World War II
1947–48  Australia No 3–0–1 11–0 16–3 16–7 0–6
1951–52  South Africa Yes 4–0–0 8–3 17–5 44–0 6–3
1953–54  New Zealand No 3–0–1 5–0 14–3 3–0 8–13
1957–58  Australia No 0–0–4 6–9 6–9 8–12 3–9
1960–61  South Africa Yes 4–0–0 5–0 8–3 12–5 3–0
1963–64  New Zealand No 3–1–0 14–0 6–5 0–0 6–0
1966–67  Australia No 2–0–2 23–11 8–15 5–11 14–11
1969–70  South Africa No 0–2–2 8–11 8–8 3–6 6–6
1972–73  New Zealand No 3–1–0 9–0 10–10 14–9 19–16
1975–76  Australia No 1–0–3 6–23 20–10 3–10 3–28
1978  New Zealand Yes 4–0–0 16–6 10–6 18–9 13–12
1981–82  Australia No 1–0–3 11–15 16–12 15–24 13–18
1984  Australia Yes 4–0–0 19–3 16–9 37–12 28–9
1998  South Africa No 3–0–1 7–13 27–13 35–10 28–20
2004  South Africa No 2–0–2 16–32 12–17 45–10 38–36
2005  New Zealand Yes 4–0–0 23–19 45–7 29–10 41–3
2008  New Zealand Yes 4–0–0 32–6 22–3 32–6 29–9
2009  Australia No 2–1–1 18–9 20–20 8–9 33–12
2010  New Zealand Yes 4–0–0 26–16 38–18 49–3 37–25
 South Africa No 3–0–1 21–11 23–21 17–21 29–25
2013  Australia No 3–0–1 13–20 32–15 21–15 30–26
2016  Australia No 2–0–2 21–37 24–27 23–22 32–8
Total Yes 9–19 No 76–6–30 17–1–10 21–3–4 18–1–9 20–1–7

The Rugby Championship
YearTeamNotes
Tri Nations Series
1996  New Zealand
1997  New Zealand
1998  South Africa
2003  New Zealand
2010  New Zealand
The Rugby Championship
2012  New Zealand
2013  New Zealand
2015  Australia Only played the 3 games due to the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
2016  New Zealand
2017  New Zealand

Rugby Europe Championship
YearTeamNotes
FIRA Tournament
1938  France
FIRA Nations Cup
1965–66  France A
1966–67  France A
1967–68  France A
1968–69  Romania
1969–70  France A
1970–71  France A
1971–72  France A
1972–73  France A
FIRA Trophy
1973–74  France A
1975–76  France A
1976–77  Romania
1977–78  France A
1978–79  France A
1979–80  France A
1980–81  Romania
1982–83  Romania
1983–84  France A
1984–85  France A
As two-year cycled championship
1986–87  France A France won in 1986.
1988–89  France A France won in 1989.
1991–92  France A France won in 1991 and 1992.
European Nations Cup First Division
2001  Georgia
2002  Romania
As two-year cycled championship
2003–04  Portugal Portugal won in 2003.
2007–08  Georgia Georgia won in 2008.
2011–12  Georgia Georgia won in 2011.
2013–14  Georgia Georgia won in 2014.
2015–16  Georgia Georgia won in 2015 and 2016.
Rugby Europe Championship
2018  Georgia
2019  Georgia

See also

References
  1. (Irish: Caithréim Mhór. Welsh: Y Gamp Lawn. French: Grand Chelem)
  2. "History". sixnationsrugby.com.
  3. "Bonus points system to be trialled in Six Nations". BreakingNews.ie. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
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