Six Nations champions Wales will kick off the defence of their title in 2022 with a trip to Dublin to play Ireland on February 5 while Scotland host England in the Calcutta Cup the same day, according to the fixtures released by the organisers on Wednesday. The final round of matches on 'Super Saturday' on March 19 starts with Wales v Italy, followed by Ireland v Scotland and concludes with 'Le Crunch' as France meet England in Paris. The tournament began in 1883 between the 'Home Nations' of the United Kingdom -- England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. France first joined in 1910 with the Five Nations becoming the Six Nations in 2000 with the addition of Italy. Fixtures:Round 1February 5: Ireland v Wales, Scotland v EnglandFebruary 6: France v ItalyRound 2February 12: Wales v Scotland, France v IrelandFebruary 13: Italy v EnglandRound 3February 26: Scotland v France, England v WalesFebruary 27: Ireland v ItalyRound 4March 11: Wales v FranceMarch 12: Italy v Scotland, England v IrelandRound 5March 19: Wales v Italy, Ireland v Scotland, France v England

Source: News 24 April 28, 2021 14:37 UTC