Six Nations Championship 2022: What are the individual and team records that can be broken this year?

The 2022 Six Nations Championship promises to bring the usual excitement and thrills that rugby fans have come to expect from the annual competition.

All the usual trophies will be up for grabs from the Championship itself to the Grand Slam, Triple Crown, Calcutta Cup and more.

However, there are also a number of team and individual records which could be broken this year as players look to cement their names alongside the all time greats in the competition's storied history.

Here are all the records you need to know about and how likely we rate their chances of being broken at the 2022 Six Nations Championship.

Most Championship wins

• Current record: 39
• Holder: England & Wales (joint)
• Chances of being broken: Somewhat likely

England and Wales are joint top for the most titles won in the competition’s history with 39 each.

Victory for Wales last year brought them level with their great rivals who went out in front in 2020 with their win.

The pair have won seven of the last ten tournaments between them, with Ireland taking the other three, but this year it is France who are favourites to lift the trophy.

Both England and Wales will still fancy their chances though with Eddie Jones’ team probably slightly better place to go and regain the record.

Most Six Nations appearances by a player

• Current record: 69
• Holder: Sergio Parisse
• Chances of being broken in 2022: Impossible

Italy’s Sergio Parisse holds the record for most individual appearances at the competition by a player, having picked up 69 of his 142 caps in the Six Nations.

The Azzuri’s greatest ever player is a legend of the tournament and can expect to hold onto that record for some time yet.

The only active player who is even remotely close to that total is Wales’ lock Alun Wyn Jones with 63 appearances in the competition to his name.

However, Jones is not in the initial Wales squad this year and is expected to miss the entire tournament though injury.

Even if he had made it and played in every game he would still be one appearance behind Parisse and, now 36, the likelihood of him ever breaking that record is becoming increasingly unlikely.

The next nearest active player after Jones is Ireland fly-half Jonny Sexton who is a long way behind on 52.

Total points scored by an individual player in the Six Nations

• Current record: 557
• Holder: Ronan O’Gara
• Chances of being broken in 2022: Possible

The current record, set by Ireland’s Ronan O’Gara, will probably be broken at some point in the next few years and there’s a chance that it could happen in the 2022 tournament.

England captain Owen Farrell has currently scored 500 points in the Six Nations Championship and needs 58 to break O’Gara’s record.

That is just shy of an average 12 points per game which isn’t outwith the realms of possibility but is a high target meaning Farrell might look towards 2023 to break the record.

However, it isn’t just the England skipper who is in the mix for that accolade with the man who replaced O’Gara in the number 10 jersey for Ireland, Jonny Sexton, currently just four points behind Farrell with 467.

It could very well end up being a head-to-head between the British & Irish Lions’ teammates to see who can go top of that chart.

Most tries by an individual player in the Six Nations

• Record: 26
• Holder: Brian O’Driscoll
• Chances of being broken in 2022: Highly unlikely

Another record held by a legend of Irish rugby, Brian O’Driscoll crossed the line 26 times in 65 appearances at the Six Nations.

It’s very, very unlikely that we will see that record broken at the 2022 Championship or even in the next few years.

The next closest active player is Wales’ winger George North on 22 tries but he, like teammate Alun Wyn Jones, is not in the initial squad due to injury.

North is just 29 so still has time on his side to break that record if he can stay fit and keep his place in the Welsh side, something that might be easier said than done in a highly competitive position.

Of the players taking part in the 2022 Championship, Scotland captain Stuart Hogg has 15 tries but the chances of any player (even one as talented as Hogg) scoring 12 tries in five matches is unlikely to say the least so it’s a safe bet that O’Driscoll’s record will hold this year.

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