The Six Nations rugby championship, one of the most highly anticipated events in the northern hemisphere, has taken a bold new step this year. Gone are the Friday nights that have been the norm for years; instead, it's kicking off on a Thursday evening.
It's not an entirely unprecedented move, however. Back in 1948, during the Five Nations era, Ireland took to the pitch against France in Paris on New Year's Day - yes, you read that right - on a Thursday. Little did they know, that fixture would prove to be a harbinger of great things for their team.
Fast forward to the present day, and it seems those Irish fans may have been onto something after all. The 2019 World Cup saw Ireland beat Russia 35-0 in Kobe on a Thursday night, and it's worth noting that France has also played on Thursdays recently - albeit in the lower-division Pro D2 league for television purposes.
But what prompted this change of schedule? It seems the real reason is down to the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. With the opening ceremony taking place on a Friday night, it made sense to bring the Six Nations forward by 24 hours to avoid clashing with television viewers.
So while this year's Thursday kick-off marks a new chapter in the competition's history, it's not entirely uncharted territory for Irish rugby fans - and neither is France. After all, they've had their fair share of Thursday night fixtures over the years, both in Pro D2 and at the World Cup.
It's not an entirely unprecedented move, however. Back in 1948, during the Five Nations era, Ireland took to the pitch against France in Paris on New Year's Day - yes, you read that right - on a Thursday. Little did they know, that fixture would prove to be a harbinger of great things for their team.
Fast forward to the present day, and it seems those Irish fans may have been onto something after all. The 2019 World Cup saw Ireland beat Russia 35-0 in Kobe on a Thursday night, and it's worth noting that France has also played on Thursdays recently - albeit in the lower-division Pro D2 league for television purposes.
But what prompted this change of schedule? It seems the real reason is down to the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. With the opening ceremony taking place on a Friday night, it made sense to bring the Six Nations forward by 24 hours to avoid clashing with television viewers.
So while this year's Thursday kick-off marks a new chapter in the competition's history, it's not entirely uncharted territory for Irish rugby fans - and neither is France. After all, they've had their fair share of Thursday night fixtures over the years, both in Pro D2 and at the World Cup.
. used to friday nights be all about it but now thursdays are the new normal? 
i mean, it's not a bad thing or anything but it just feels different. anyone else miss the old way of doin' things? 
! Who needs Friday vibes when you can have #SixNations on Thursday? 
[GIF of a fan cheering with a "WOOHOO!" shoutout] 
this Six Nations thing is about to get lit! I mean, can you imagine a big rugby match on a Thursday? 
anyway!
️ Plus, it's not like it's a big deal that France and Ireland have played Thursdays before. That just means they're ahead of the curve, or should I say, ahead of the schedule 
. And let's not forget about the 2026 Olympics – if we can't even get the sports calendar right, what chance do we have at actually enjoying the games? 
. But anyway, back to rugby... have you ever noticed how some teams just get on really well together? Like, Ireland and Scotland are always doing great against each other. Maybe that's why they moved the Six Nations up to Thursday nights? Just a thought 
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always thought saturdays were best for sports tho 
so yeah its gonna be interesting to see how this new schedule plays out 
like who else is hyped for this?! so the 2026 milan-cortina winter olympics are coming up and they dont wanna clash with tv viewers 
but im kinda stoked that it means we get more rugby matches! plus, didnt you know that ireland played a thursday match back in 1948 