Farrell And Doris Attend Guinness Men’s Six Nations Launch In Edinburgh

Ireland Men’s head coach Andy Farrell and captain Caelan Doris attended the official launch of the 2026 Guinness Men’s Six Nations Championship in Edinburgh today.

The Six Nations captains gathered outside the famous gates of Edinburgh Castle for a unique photo moment, before joining their head coaches at The Hub, a venue and stage renowned for global entertainers, to meet the world’s media, set the scene for this year’s Championship, and kick-start a year that will usher in a new era for international rugby.

Speaking about the upcoming campaign, Doris said: “What a privilege to be back in this position (captaining the team for the Six Nations). Thankfully I’ve got a great group of guys around me, some very capable players and leaders, so I’ll be leaning on them quite a bit throughout.

“There is massive desire to improve, there’s desire to keep the evolution going in the right way. There’s some new faces in which is exciting, and getting them on the right trajectory and continuing to go in the right way.

“November was obviously mixed, both in terms of results and performances. If you look at the Australia game, there was definitely some pleasing things there and a record score against them.

“But New Zealand and South Africa, (we were) definitely not good enough. So it’s about continuing to work hard, continuing to build the right habits and hopefully that pays fruition in the games to come.

Meanwhile, six years on from his first match in charge of Ireland, Farrell returns to steer them through the Six Nations after missing the 2025 tournament due to his British & Irish Lions sabbatical.

“It’s special isn’t it? Playing in Paris is always that way,” he said, commenting on Ireland’s opening fixture away to defending champions France. “To start the competition off on a Thursday night seems a bit strange, doesn’t it, but it’s exciting. It’s still the same.

“If you can’t get excited about a Six Nations then you’re in the wrong place, the wrong job. To me, every single time I’m fortunate enough to be involved in a Six Nations Championship, the energy, the excitement…because you understand just what it means to the teams that are the playing, the countries, the rivalries, all of that.

“I think it’s something special that we’ve got with the Six Nations over here in the northern hemisphere, you know. We’re privileged to be part of it.”