The 2026 Six Nations is underway with a heavyweight opener in Paris, as Ireland travels to the Stade de France to face France in one of the toughest road tests in international rugby.
With a hostile crowd, championship implications from the opening whistle, and no shortage of star power on either side, Round 1 begins with a matchup that already feels decisive.
France welcomes back Antoine Dupont to the international stage for the first time in nearly a year, and the talismanic scrum-half headlines a squad loaded with pace, power, and depth.
From Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Theo Attissogbe out wide to a bruising forward pack, Les Bleus look every bit like a team capable of running the table in this year’s tournament. Across from them, Andy Farrell’s Ireland arrives with a point to prove after missing out on last year’s Six Nations title, and with some bold selection calls that have set the tone early—Sam Prendergast gets the nod at fly-half, while Jacob Stockdale returns to the starting XV.
Kickoff is set for 3:10 p.m. ET on Feb. 5, and everything is in place for a classic Six Nations showdown.
Follow along here for live updates, key moments, and analysis as France and Ireland open the 2026 championship under the lights in Paris.
France Vs. Ireland Kickoff Time
The 2026 Six Nations opening match between France and Ireland kicks off at 3:10 p.m. ET at Stade de France.
Where To Watch France Vs. Ireland Rugby
The 2026 Six Nations Championship will be broadcast on different networks all over the world.
If you live in the USA, you can watch the games on Peacock.
- UK: BBC / ITV
- USA: Peacock
- Ireland: RTÉ / Virgin Media
- Wales: BBC / S4C
- France: France Télévisions
- Italy: Sky Sport Italia
- South Africa: SuperSport
- Australia: Stan Sport
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ
France Rugby Lineup
- Jean-Baptiste Gros
- Julien Marchand
- Dorian Aldegheri
- Charles Ollivon
- Mickael Guillard
- Francois Cros
- Oscar Jegou
- Anthony Jelonch
- Antoine Dupont
- Matthieu Jalibert
- Louis Bielle-Biarrey
- Yoram Moefana
- Nicolas Depoortere
- Theo Attissogbe
- Thomas Ramos
Substitutes: 16. Peato Mauvaka, 17. Rodrigue Neti, 18. Regis Montagne, 19. Hugo Auradou, 20. Emmanuel Meafou, 21. Lenni Nouchi, 22. Baptiste Serin, 23. Kalvin Gourgues
Ireland Rugby Lineup
- Jeremy Loughman
- Dan Sheehan
- Thomas Clarkson
- Joe McCarthy
- Tadhg Beirne
- Cian Prendergast
- Josh van der Flier
- Caelan Doris
- Jamison Gibson-Park
- Sam Prendergast
- Jacob Stockdale
- Stuart McCloskey
- Garry Ringrose
- Tommy O’Brien
- Jamie Osborne
Substitutes: 16. Ronan Kelleher, 17. Michael Milne, 18. Finlay Bealham, 19. James Ryan, 20. Jack Conan, 21. Nick Timoney, 22. Craig Casey, 23. Jack Crowley
Six Nations 2026 Fixtures
Round 1
- Feb. 5 – France vs. Ireland – 3:10 p.m. ET
- Feb. 7 – Italy vs. Scotland – 9:10 a.m. ET
- Feb. 7 – England vs. Wales – 11:40 a.m. ET
Round 2
- Feb. 14 – Ireland vs. Italy – 9:10 a.m. ET
- Feb. 14 – Scotland vs. England – 11:40 a.m. ET
- Feb. 15 – Wales vs. France – 10:10 a.m. ET
Round 3
- Feb. 21 – England vs. Ireland – 9:10 a.m. ET
- Feb. 21 – Wales vs. Scotland – 11:40 a.m. ET
- Feb. 22 – France vs. Italy – 10:10 a.m. ET
Round 4
- March 6 – Ireland vs. Wales – 3:10 p.m. ET
- March 7 – Scotland vs. France – 9:10 a.m. ET
- March 7 – Italy vs. England – 11:40 a.m. ET
Round 5
- March 14 – Ireland vs. Scotland – 10:10 a.m. ET
- March 14 – Wales vs. Italy – 12:40 p.m. ET
- March 14 – France vs. England – 4:10 p.m. ET
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