Rugby Union

England Well Backed Ahead Of 2026 Six Nations

3 hours ago

| BY Alex McMahon

England are the clear fan favourites ahead of the upcoming Six Nations, attracting 33% of all outright winner bets placed with William Hill, more than any other nation in the market.

Despite England (9/4) leading the way in number of bets, it is tournament favourites France (8/11) who narrowly top the table for total stakes, accounting for 36% of all money wagered on the outright market, suggesting bigger individual bets are landing on Les Bleus to lift the trophy.

Six Nations 2026 Tournament Winner Odds:

France – 8/11
England – 9/4
Ireland – 7/1
Scotland – 12/1
Wales – 125/1
Italy – 150/1

Confidence in England is even more pronounced in the Grand Slam market, where the Red Rose, priced at 7/2, make up 37% of all bets – five times as many wagers as France (8/11) in that market.

At the other end of the table, Wales are the biggest price they’ve been in at least a decade in the Six Nations outright market, having been 33/1 heading into 2024 and 50/1 last year, and are now as long as 125/1 to win the Championship.

They are also just 8/11 to finish bottom of the table, the shortest they’ve been for the Wooden Spoon ahead of a tournament.

Six Nations 2026 Grand Slam Winner Odds:

France – 8/11
No Winner – 6/4
England – 7/2
Ireland – 14/1
Scotland – 33/1
Wales – 400/1
Italy – 500/1

However, long-odds support for the Welsh remains significant, with Wales accounting for 17% of all bets in the outright winner market, leaving a sizeable liability should a remarkable turnaround in form occur.

Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: “England are the clear fan favourites heading into this year’s Six Nations, with 33% of all outright winner bets placed on Steve Borthwick’s side – more than any other side in the market.

“What is interesting though is that 8/11 tournament favourites France lead the way when it comes to percentage of stakes on the outright market, accounting for 36% of all stakes.

“However, belief in England is even stronger in the Grand Slam market, where they make up 37% of all bets – five times as many wagers as France – so there’s clearly a feeling among bettors that England could go all the way with a clean sweep.

“At the other end of the market, Wales are at their biggest outright price in at least a decade. They’re 125/1 to win and just 8/11 to finish bottom – the shortest they’ve been for the Wooden Spoon ahead of a tournament. Despite that they still account for 17% of all outright bets, which makes them our worst result on the book heading into the tournament.”