Northern | US

Ireland and France to contest new cup from 2026 onwards


Ireland celebrates during the Guinness Six Nations 2024 match between France and Ireland at Orange Velodrome on February 2, 2024 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Christian Liewig - Corbis/Getty Images)
Comments
Comment

As if Ireland and France Six Nations matches didn’t have enough competitive edge, the two sides are set to contest a new cup when they meet during the championship.

ADVERTISEMENT

From 2026 onwards the two sides will contest the cup, which is yet to be made or officially named.

The new trophy will sit alongside the likes of the Calcutta Cup (England vs. Scotland), the Millennium Trophy (England vs. Ireland), the Centenary Quaich (Ireland vs. Scotland), the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy (France vs. Italy), the Auld Alliance Trophy (France vs. Scotland), and the Doddie Weir Cup (Scotland vs. Wales).

Video Spacer

Marcus Smith on switching off and supporting his family | RPTV

Marcus Smith opens up on the latest episode of O2 Inside Line: This Rose. Watch the full episode now on RugbyPass TV

Watch now

Video Spacer

Marcus Smith on switching off and supporting his family | RPTV

Marcus Smith opens up on the latest episode of O2 Inside Line: This Rose. Watch the full episode now on RugbyPass TV

In a statement on the matter, the French Embassy said: “The introduction of this trophy underscores the commitment of both nations to fostering sporting excellence and strengthening bilateral relations through rugby. With both teams consistently ranked amongst the world’s best, this initiative symbolises a great example of Franco-Irish relations on the world stage.”

The trophy will add an additional competitive element to one of the championship’s most watched fixtures.

Céline Place, Ambassador of France to Ireland, said: “Although we are rivals on the pitch, off it, Franco-Irish relations have never been in a more friendly place. Rugby has long been a cornerstone of the strong links between our two nations. Every year, this trophy will pay tribute to our shared values and the spirit of camaraderie that defines our encounters on the rugby field.”

RugbyPass App Download

News, stats, live rugby and more! Download the new RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now!


Whether you’re looking for somewhere to track upcoming fixtures, a place to watch live rugby or an app that shows you all of the latest news and analysis, the RugbyPass rugby app is perfect.

Stream Nations Championship 2026 LIVE

Hemispheres collide in the new Nations Championship. Stream live, replays and highlights free on RugbyPass TV.

Watch on RPTV
Starts 4th July 2026 - USA only.
ADVERTISEMENT
Play Video
LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Long Reads

Comments on RugbyPass

N
NoLongerARuck 27 minutes ago
Nations Championship: 'The data shows the north has finally caught up with the south'

The Six Nations produced so many compelling games and so much of action packed moments that you can only conclude that its the best international comp out there at the moment except for a world cup. If Wales improve it will be even better especially given the strides Italy have made in recent times. The Rugby Championship is now taking a hiatus in a year it really should be building toward something better which is terrible considering the competition was so tight last year. The Nations Champs promises much but one gets the feeling that the 6 Nations teams will not be at their peak given its at the end of their long season. In terms of rugby quality and entertainment Id rather watch the 6 Nations over everything else other than a world cup right now. The North arguably offers more in terms of entertainment than the South at club level as well. The Prem, the Champs Cup, URC and Top 14 all feature plenty of scoring and different playing styles while Super Rugby seems to be the same thing game in game out. While the South tries to speed up the game artificially with new trials and law variations the North has shown you can do it with good refereeing which penalises cynical play harshly and encourages positive actions on the field. In terms of entertainment the North wins. In terms of winning? They are making strides but until they win another world cup or get a team to rank number 1 again for an extended time again they cant really say they are better than the South.

32 Go to comments
Close Panel
Close Panel

Edition & Time Zone

{{current.name}}
Set time zone automatically
{{selectedTimezoneTitle}} (auto)
Choose a different time zone
Close Panel

Editions

Close Panel

Change Time Zone

Copied to clipboard

Share Article close