How do Six Nations bonus points work? Bonus points explained
Your guide to bonus points in the Six Nations 2024, including why teams are awarded them and when they were introduced.
The Six Nations Championship kicks off this weekend with an added fervour, as Netflix's Six Nations: Full Contact will hopefully bring new eyes to the sport.
England open their tournament against Italy in Rome, where they'll be expected to leave with a win and a bonus point.
The Six Nations has had a bonus point system since 2017, having been prevalent in club competitions and other international tournaments before the Six Nations adopted it.
RadioTimes.com brings you all the details about the bonus points system for the Six Nations 2024.
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How do Six Nations bonus points work?
When a team scores four or more tries in a match, they earn a bonus point on top of the points they earn from the game. Another bonus point is also available if a team loses a match within seven points. Here's the full round-up of how Six Nations points work:
Points
- Four points are awarded for a win.
- Two points are awarded for a draw.
- Zero points are awarded for a defeat.
Bonus points
- One try bonus point is awarded for scoring four or more tries in a match.
- One losing bonus point is awarded for losing by seven or fewer points.
- Two bonus points can be earned if teams meet both of the criteria above.
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When was the bonus point system introduced?
Bonus points in rugby first made their official appearance New Zealand’s domestic competition the National Provincial Championship in 1995.
The 2017 Six Nations was the first time that bonus points were used in the tournament.
They had been avoided in the Six Nations because a team could win all five games, known as a Grand Slam, but lose out on the title if another team won four games with a bonus point and then lost one match by seven points or fewer, getting a losing bonus point.
Organisers solved this by awarding any team that wins all five games an additional three points. This ensures that a Grand Slam winning team tops the table with at least 23 points.
England’s last Six Nations title win, in 2020, was decided by a bonus point.
A crucial penalty from Owen Farrell at the end of the game meant that despite losing 24-17 in Paris, it gave them a losing bonus point that proved to be the difference as they tied on points with France, beating them on points difference to win the title.
Read more:
- England next match | Lawrence Dallaglio predictions
- Ireland next match | Brian O'Driscoll predictions
- Scotland next match | Sir Ian McGeechan predictions
- Wales next match | Shane Williams predictions
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