Defending champions Ireland are 7/4 joint-favourites with France ahead of the 2025 Six Nations Championship, which kicks off on Friday

The Six Nations begins on Friday under the lights in Paris, drawing back the curtain on the most exciting six weeks of rugby action the northern hemisphere has to offer.

Six Nations stands as a rare shining light amid rugby's turmoil - SIX NATIONS 2025: Rugby’s greatest championship has proved more competitive than ever over the last few years – who will triumph as the modern-day gladiators step back into the amphitheatre?

A capsule look at England, France, defending champion Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations, which starts on Friday.

Millions of people in Ireland and northern parts of the U.K. have heeded the advice of authorities to stay at home

Ireland has called in help from England and France to restore power to hundreds of thousands of people after the most disruptive storm for years.

A rare “stay at home” warning has been issued for parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland as a severe storm lashes the region, bringing dangerous 100mph (160 kmh) winds and unleashing travel chaos.

Storm Eowyn caused havoc Friday as it battered Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland, killing one person and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without power, flights grounded and schools shut, officials said.

Damage and power outages have been reported Friday as energy from a storm system that produced record snowfall along the Gulf Coast is bashing Western Europe with heavy precipitation and powerful wind gusts.

Emergency crews are cleaning up after a storm bearing record-breaking winds left at least one person dead and more than a million without power across the island of Ireland and Scotland

Ireland will be seeking to make history in 2025 as the first nation to become Six Nations champions for a third successive season. Given how competitive the tournament has become in modern times, this would represent a considerable achievement for the Green Army.

On their day, the Scots have proven capable of defeating England, Italy and Wales home and away in recent season, while they have also shown they can match France both in Edinburgh and Paris.