15th March 2026
The completion of this year’s Six Nations rugby union tournament allows us to identify an example of a sporting “La Ronde” – an unbroken circle of wins and losses between the participating countries.
Viz:
…England defeated Wales
Wales defeated Italy
Italy defeated Scotland
Scotland defeated France
France defeated Ireland
Ireland defeated England
England defeated…
This is the only combination of the 2026 results that produces this outcome. It is not perfect, as the results were not sequential during the tournament. However, it is sufficiently uncommon for it to be noteworthy – the first of its type since 2013 and only the fifth since the Six Nations began in 2000 with the introduction of Italy.
A positive interpretation is that the phenomenon reflects the unpredictability of the tournament which, this year, has also been characterised by some imaginative attacking rugby. Although the eventual winners (France) were perhaps the favourites when it started, there were two other sides (Ireland and Scotland) that could have been champions before the last round of matches were played. And, of course, it turned out that it required a last-minute penalty goal by the nerveless Thomas Ramos to win the final match for France (against England). Had his kick been unsuccessful, Ireland would have added the Championship to their Triple Crown success.
With acknowledgement to Arthur Schnitzler (1862-1931).
An Ordinary Spectator 