How to buy Six Nations 2027 tickets · and avoid scams

The golden rule: start with the official channels

Every Six Nations 2027 fixture is sold first by the host union for that match. That means England v France at Twickenham is sold by the RFU; a Wales home fixture at the Principality Stadium is sold by the WRU; and so on. Here is the full map of official ticketing:

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 RFU (englandrugby.com) — for every fixture at the Allianz Stadium (Twickenham). RFU members get priority through the RFU members' ballot.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 WRU (wru.wales) — for matches at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff. WRU pre-sale via the Friends of Welsh Rugby and club allocation.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 SRU / Scottish Rugby (scottishrugby.org) — for matches at Murrayfield. Members of Scottish Rugby get priority access.
• 🇮🇪 IRFU (irishrugby.ie) — for fixtures at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. Tickets are largely allocated via affiliated clubs.
• 🇫🇷 FFR (ffr.fr) — for France v Wales and France v Scotland at the Stade de France.
• 🇮🇹 FIR (federugby.it) — for fixtures at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Understanding the order of pre-sale phases

Most unions organise their on-sale in 4 successive phases, spread from autumn 2026 to early 2027. Knowing the order is how you maximise your chances of securing a good seat:

Phase 1 — Members / season-ticket holders / club affiliates (summer-autumn 2026)

Unions give early access to paid members of their loyalty schemes ("RFU Members" at the RFU, "Friends of Welsh Rugby" at the WRU, "Scottish Rugby Members" at the SRU). Joining these schemes typically costs £30 to £60 a year and grants access in pre-sale 3 to 8 weeks before the general public.

Phase 2 — Amateur clubs and rugby schools

The unions reserve a ticket quota for affiliated clubs and rugby academies. If you play at a local club, ask the club secretary about their Six Nations 2027 allocation — it's a route many supporters overlook entirely.

Phase 3 — Sponsors and partners

Some official partners (banks, airlines, sportswear brands) offer client packages to their premium cardholders or loyalty-programme members. It's rarely advertised widely but can unlock seats that never reach the general public.

Phase 4 — Public on-sale (autumn 2026 to January 2027)

The final phase, open to all. The tickets remaining after Phases 1 to 3 go on sale, usually in several waves: a first wave for the top categories, then the standard categories a few days or weeks later. On the day of the public on-sale, be ready at your computer at the exact time — the best mid-priced seats often sell out in under 60 minutes.

The 7 scam signals to spot immediately

The more sold-out a fixture is on official channels, the more scams emerge in parallel. The most common red flags:

1. Posts on Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, TikTok: a personal account offering "2 spare tickets" is a scam in 9 cases out of 10. No buyer protection, no recourse if the ticket is refused at the gate.
2. Prices that look too low: a Le Crunch ticket at £50 is almost certainly fake. Category 4-5 seats actually start at £80-130.
3. Payment requested by bank transfer / Western Union / cryptocurrency: none of these payment methods offer protection. Anyone insisting on them should be treated as suspicious.
4. URL slightly different from the real one: "tickets-six-nations-2027.com" or "rfu-ticketing.co.uk" are fake sites imitating the real ones. Always type the union name into Google rather than clicking on an advert or an email link.
5. Pressure to buy: "only 2 tickets left, buy now" is a classic. Genuine union ticketing portals never use this tone.
6. "Paper ticket, not named" offered below face value: very risky. Modern stadiums use named tickets with ID checks at the gate.
7. Seller asking to close the deal off-platform ("message me on WhatsApp to finalise"): abandon immediately. Also check for missing or fake Trustpilot reviews on the website.

How to pay safely

The right instinct: always pay on the host union's official website, with a credit or debit card. Your card issuer's chargeback protection covers you in case of a genuine dispute (ticket never received, ticket refused at the gate, etc.).

PayPal "Goods and Services" (not "Friends and Family") also offers usable buyer protection. Avoid any payment by bank transfer, cash, Western Union, MoneyGram or cryptocurrency, which give you no recourse if something goes wrong.

Named tickets: the new normal

Since 2023-2024, most Six Nations stadiums have moved to named tickets with ID checks at the gate. In practice: your name is printed on the ticket, and a steward compares your ID to the name on the ticket as you enter. If the names don't match, you can be refused entry.

To officially transfer a ticket to a friend or family member, use the host union's ticket transfer system (usually free for direct family, sometimes paid for others). A ticket resold without an official transfer has no legal value, even if it scans correctly.

What to do if the fixture is sold out

If the public on-sale is exhausted, three legitimate routes remain:

• Official members' resale offered by some unions (notably the RFU and the IRFU): prices close to face value, secure name transfer — the only fully risk-free option.
• Specialist rugby travel packages (Mike Burton Group in the UK, similar operators in other countries): ticket + hotel + transport. Ticket guaranteed, more expensive than a ticket alone, but often the only option for marquee fixtures once the public on-sale has closed.
• Regulated peer-to-peer resale platforms: use as a last resort, with a buyer guarantee. Always check the name transfer policy and the refund terms before paying.

Pre-purchase checklist: 6 essential checks

1. Does the URL start with https://? Is the padlock icon visible in the browser bar?
2. Does the domain name match exactly the official site of the union (englandrugby.com, wru.wales, scottishrugby.org, irishrugby.ie, ffr.fr, federugby.it)?
3. Is the payment going through a credit / debit card or PayPal Goods and Services?
4. Is the price consistent with the official ranges published by the union?
5. Have you received a confirmation email from the union's official domain, and not from a personal Gmail / Hotmail address?
6. Will the ticket be delivered as a named digital ticket (PDF or e-ticket with QR code) directly from the official ticketing platform?

If all answers are yes, you can complete the purchase with confidence. If even one answer is no, redouble caution or abandon the transaction.

Resources and further reading

• Ticket prices and ranges by category
• Full Six Nations 2027 fixture list
• Six Nations stadiums guide
• General rugby tickets buying guide