Grand Slam (rugby Union)

Grand Slam (rugby Union)

In rugby union, a Grand Slam (Welsh: Y Gamp Lawn. French: Le Grand Chelem) occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship (or its Five Nations predecessor) manages to beat all the others during one year's competition. This has been achieved 37 times in total, for the first time by Wales in 1908, and most recently again by Wales in 2012. The team to have won the most Grand Slams is England with 12.

In another context, a Grand Slam tour refers to a touring side – South Africa, Australia or New Zealand – which plays fixtures against all four home nations (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) during their tour. If the tourists then win all of those matches, they are said to have achieved a Grand Slam. This has been done nine times, first by South Africa in 1912–13, and most recently by New Zealand in 2010.

Read more about Grand Slam (rugby Union):  Five and Six Nations Championship, Grand Slam Tours

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