Netflix’s impressive roster of sports documentaries takes some beating. The streaming giant has been at the forefront of the genre for some years now, screening hits such as Sunderland ‘Til I Die and others. But in recent weeks, there has been much talk of new shows such as Break Point, a tennis documentary, and Season 5 of the long-running documentary series Formula 1: Drive To Survive, which is due to debut next month.

Later in the year, a much-anticipated documentary series covering life in the world’s most famous road cycling race, the Tour de France, will debut, and a soccer-based series provisionally titled World Cup: The Greatest Show On Earth, about the tournament held in Qatar at the end of last year, is also due to appear.

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However, one of the most interesting will be Six Nations. Rugby is not the most popular of sports in the United States, but in much of western Europe, Canada, Japan, South Africa, Oceania, and Argentina, it is almost as popular as soccer, and just as enthralling. Now Netflix has gained permission from the organizers of the Six Nations Championship to film behind-the-scenes footage, telling the story of one of the oldest and most august international sporting tournaments on the planet. Here’s why it will be unmissable.

The Most Exciting Rugby Tournament In the World

     ITV

There’s little doubt that the rugby-playing nations of the Southern Hemisphere dominate international rugby. Since its inception in 1987, every Rugby World Cup bar one has been won by one of the great triumvirates of South Africa, Australia, and the legendary All Blacks, which is the New Zealand national team.

However, it’s also true that for drama, high stakes, and sheer, unadulterated excitement, the consensus is that the Northern Hemisphere’s Six Nations Championship makes for unbeatable viewing. As the oldest international championship — the first edition was in 1883 — the annual competition features England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, and Italy playing each other once in their national stadiums. The prestige associated with a win is substantial.

As one would expect from such an old tournament, the Six Nations is also awash with tradition. Expect emotions to run high, as well as hordes of fans in silly costumes, hymn singing from Welsh supporters that would put professional choirs to shame, the odd rooster let onto the field by mischievous supporters during France’s matches (don’t worry, they’re always gathered by friendly officials!), and much more.

The Six Nations Championship

     BBC

The sheer number of national rivalries in the Six Nations, and the history between them, take some beating and unlike many other sports tournaments of the type, it’s not just the championship title that’s at stake — there are many others to be decided too.

For example, the Calcutta Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the match between England and Scotland and confers bragging rights for the next twelve months. Historically England has had the upper hand, but a run of three wins in five years for Scotland augurs well for a tight, exciting match this year.

For England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, there’s also the Triple Crown. To win the championship outright is a singular honor, but for one of these teams to beat the other three is regarded as an impressive feat in its own right. The effect of all these rivalries and contests within contests is to make each and every game a spectacle; every result counts.

The Teams to Watch

This year’s tournament promises to be a humdinger, simply because so many teams are in with a shout of victory. England is in a state of transition, with their previous coach Eddie Jones having left under a cloud late last year following a string of poor results in 2022, and new coach Steve Borthwick having been in the job for a mere six weeks.

And if England is in strife, the same thing can be said of Wales. Rugby union being Wales’s national sport, the fortunes of the national team are taken very seriously, and as the team carried off the championship in 2019 and 2021, great things were expected last year. But the team could only manage a poor fifth place, and their coach Wayne Pivac departed in December.

The twist in the tale, however, is that Pivac has been replaced by Wales’ most popular and longest-serving coach — the New Zealander Warren Gatland, who managed the side from 2007 to 2019, bagging four Six Nations Championships and famous victories over Southern Hemisphere sides in the process. Can Gatland stop the rot and return Wales to winning ways?

And then there’s France. Last year, France didn’t merely win the championship, but also the much-coveted Grand Slam, remaining unbeaten throughout. And with September’s Rugby World Cup due to be held in France, a strong showing in the Six Nations will set the Frenchmen fair for success in that tournament too.