Hotels for Six Nations 2027: Ireland v England

Few fixtures in the northern hemisphere calendar carry the weight of this one. Old rivalries and family ties run through the crowd, and the noise before kick-off tends to say as much as the scoreline does after it. Form and injuries aside, this fixture rarely needs extra motivation.

Ireland against England is one of the Six Nations' great rivalries, and in 2027 the two open the championship under the Friday-night lights at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The tournament grew from the 19th-century Home Nations and later the Five Nations, taking its current shape when Italy joined in 2000 to make six, and it remains the northern hemisphere's showpiece, with a Grand Slam awaiting any side that wins all five of its matches.

The Aviva stands on the historic Lansdowne Road site in Ballsbridge, rebuilt and reopened in 2010 with a distinctive curved glass frame and a capacity of around 51,700, a short walk or DART ride from the city centre. Dublin fills fast for a Six Nations weekend as travelling support arrives in numbers, and the atmosphere spills from the ground into the pubs of Temple Bar and beyond. Stay central for the full match-weekend buzz, with the Georgian squares and the Guinness Storehouse close by.

Ireland's home of rugby and football, the Aviva Stadium rises above the Lansdowne Road area of leafy south Dublin, hosting internationals and major stadium concerts. The surrounding Ballsbridge district is genteel and green, with the Grand Canal and the city centre's pubs and restaurants a short distance away.

The DART commuter train stops at Lansdowne Road right beside the ground, linking along the coast and into the centre. Staying centrally keeps Dublin's nightlife close, with a quick DART ride out to the stadium.