Defending champions Wales will feature in the first ever RBS Six Nations match to be played on a Friday night.

Warren Gatland's side will face France in Paris on Friday, 27 February 2009 in the third round of next year's event.


Captain Ryan Jones celebrates after leading Wales to victory

Wales start the defence of their title away to Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday, 8 February.

England kick off their campaign at home to Italy 24 hours earlier while Ireland host France on the opening weekend.

Gatland insists the Friday night fixture in Paris, kicking off at 9pm local time, will not concern him unduly.

"Travelling to France is always a tough proposition and playing on a Friday night will be interesting, but it won't faze us," he said.

"We'll go into the Championship as the holders and that automatically means other teams will be gunning for us from the outset, but that's a position we will relish being in.

"The fixture list is pretty much the flip side of the one that treated us so well this year; it offers us different challenges with three games on the road.

"But we are given the opportunity to go to both Scotland and Italy where the players will feel they didn't get their performance right in 2007, and we'll have the chance to put that right."

Six Nations council chairman Jacques Laurans is hoping for another dramatic denoument to the 2009 tournament, with this year's event going down to the final game (Wales v France) to decide the title.

"The atmosphere in Cardiff was electric and I am convinced that next year's Championship will be equally as dramatic," he said.

"Once again, the Championship brought huge TV audiences in all its countries and we are looking forward to even more exciting matches and unpredictable results."

Scotland captain Mike Blair welcomed the opportunity to open their campain with a home fixture.

"It's always good to begin the championship at home as it gives you the better chance of starting with a win and then looking to build momentum," he said.

"We do then face a tight six-day turnaround to face France in Paris so the balance between training and rest will be important that week."

2009 RBS Six Nations fixtures:


Saturday, 7 February
England v Italy (1500 GMT)
Ireland v France (1700 GMT)
Sunday, 8 February
Scotland v Wales (1500 GMT)

Saturday, 14 February
France v Scotland (1500 GMT)
Wales v England (1730 GMT)
Sunday 15 February
Italy v Ireland (1430 GMT)

Friday, 27 February
France v Wales (2000 GMT)
Saturday, 28 February
Scotland v Italy (1500 GMT)
Ireland v England (1730 GMT)

Saturday, 14 March
Italy v Wales (1500 GMT)
Scotland v Ireland (1700 GMT)
Sunday 15 March
England v France (1500 GMT)

Saturday, 21 March
Italy v France (1315 GMT)
England v Scotland (1530 GMT)
Wales v Ireland (1730 GMT)