Triple Crown 2015 Promo

In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the so-called "Home Nations" - i.e. the four national teams of the British Isles and Ireland who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. If any one of these teams defeats all three other teams, they win the Triple Crown.

The Six Nations Championship also includes France and Italy, but their involvement in the tournament has no influence on the result of the Triple Crown, although it means that the winners of the Triple Crown are not necessarily the winners of the Championship as a whole.

England won the first Triple Crown – although the phrase was not in use at the time – in the inaugural 1883 series of the original rugby union Home Nations Championship. The latest winners are England, who beat Ireland, Scotland and Wales in the 2014 Six Nations Championship.

Traditionally the Triple Crown was an informal honour with no trophy associated with it. However a trophy now exists, which has been awarded to Triple Crown winners since 2006.