The 2024 Six Nations is here and novices are asking all the right questions

For people who are just becoming fans of rugby, you may not know the rules of the Six Nations.

Some may ask if it is possible to draw in the tournament or if the match would be sent to extra time. Luckily for those fans we have all the answers.

Read more: Six Nations hub

It is possible to draw in the Six Nations with a tied match giving each team two points.  This is because it is a round robin tournament and not knock-out rugby.

Each team will play the other five nations once in a championship and the team with the most points at the end is the winner.

Six Nations draw: Is there extra time?

There is not extra time in the competition as the matches can end in a draw.

One of the most famous draws in the tournament’s history came in the 2019 Six Nations.

England hosted Scotland at Twickenham and raced to a 31-0 lead at half-time. However, England fell apart in the second half and Scotland came back to lead 38-31 with five minutes to go.

Scottish hearts were broken though as George Ford leapt over the line and Owen Farrell converted to level the game.

Post-match both coaches were blown away with the match. Then-England head coach Eddie Jones said: “We got seduced by the scoreboard and the easiness of the game.”

And Scotland boss Gregor Townsend added: “When you think of the team we were up against it and what a team they have, it is the most unusual game I have ever been involved in”.

How many points are awarded for a win?

A win is four points and a defeat usually gives a team nothing.

How do bonus points work in the Six Nations?

There are bonus points in the competition. Teams get one bonus point for scoring four tries. There is a losing bonus point which means a team receives a point if you come within seven points of the winning team.

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