Six Nations: Full Contact

Six Nations: Full Contact
GenreDocudrama
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Running time33–47 minutes
Production companyBox to Box Films
Original release
NetworkNetflix
Release24 January 2024 (2024-01-24) –
29 January 2025 (2025-01-29)

Six Nations: Full Contact is a television documentary series produced in a collaboration between Netflix and the Six Nations, to give a behind-the-scenes look at the players and matches of the Six Nations Championship.[1]

The first season, covering the 2023 Six Nations Championship, was released on 24 January 2024.[2][3] This was followed by a second season focusing on the 2024 event, released on 29 January 2025.[4] Prior to the release of the second season it had been announced that Netflix would not be producing a third.[5]

Episodes

Season 1

No.TitleOriginal release date
1"Let Battle Commence"24 January 2024 (2024-01-24)
Scotland warm up for their opening match at Twickenham, where they haven't won against England in over a century. Is this the year they defy the odds?
2"Hard Knock Life"24 January 2024 (2024-01-24)
Italy's under pressure to perform in the England game. With last years injury at the front of his mind, Sebastian Negri faces up to the challenge.
3"On the Edge"24 January 2024 (2024-01-24)
It's only round two but the stakes couldn't be higher as France, last years reigning champions, face the world number one - Ireland
4"The Second Coming"24 January 2024 (2024-01-24)
With the Wales team in turmoil on and off the pitch, their old head coach returns to shake things up. Will his gamble pay off in the match against England?
5"La Défense"24 January 2024 (2024-01-24)
Following a rocky start, everything depends on the next game for last year's champions, France. Will they find their form, or is the title gone for good?
6"Pressure Cooker"24 January 2024 (2024-01-24)
With two teams in the championship on a losing streak, more than a wooden spoon is at stake as they prepare to face each other in the next round.
7"The Last Dance"24 January 2024 (2024-01-24)
All of the Scottish team are keen to be picked for the next round. But their coach has a hard choice to make, as his best players are plagued by injury.
8"Agony or Ecstasy"24 January 2024 (2024-01-24)
It's Super Saturday, the epic conclusion of rugby's biggest championship. As all six teams take to the pitch, there can only be one winner.

Season 2

No.TitleOriginal release date
1"Opportunity Knocks"29 January 2025 (2025-01-29)
Italy have never beat England in a Six Nations match. With a new coach and a new strategy, this could be the game that changes everything.
2"Boys to Men"29 January 2025 (2025-01-29)
Wales haven't won at Twickenham in over a decade. Their team is young and inexperienced. How will they fare in their pivotal match against England?.
3"Hearts and Minds"29 January 2025 (2025-01-29)
As Scotland prepare to defend the iconic Calcutta Cup at home against their fiercest rivals, the England team is rocked by some tragic news.
4"Borrowed Time"29 January 2025 (2025-01-29)
France and Wales are flailing in the competition. With both coaches under intense scrutiny, they decide to inject some new blood into their squads.
5"Eyes on the Prize"29 January 2025 (2025-01-29)
Everyone on the England team is desperate to be picked for the match against Ireland, while the reigning champions are focused on retaining their title.
6"Great Expectations"29 January 2025 (2025-01-29)
Italy's new coach is determined to reverse their consistent losing streak. Could they ever stand a chance against the unpredictable Scottish team?
7"Field of Dreams"29 January 2025 (2025-01-29)
One team has lost every match in the competition so far. One is the eternal underdog. Who will break their losing streak — and who gets the wooden spoon?
8"The Final Reckoning"29 January 2025 (2025-01-29)
It's Super Saturday, the final showdown of the Six Nations. Two teams have the chance of taking home the title and the stakes couldn't be higher.

Production and concept

In January 2023, Netflix ordered a behind-the-scenes series on the 2023 Six Nations Championship.[6]

In January 2025, Six Nations CEO Tom Harrison told a media event promoting the second season that "Netflix made the strategic decision not to continue" producing the series.[5]

Release

The trailer for the first season was released on 17 January 2024, and on 24 January 2024, the series premiered on Netflix.[7][2]

Reception

The first season was described in a review for The Guardian as feeling "formulaic" and "familiar",[8] while Rugby World criticised a lack of "nuance" in favour of a cinematic spectacle that was "reality in the loosest sense of the world".[9] Most critics noted parallels to Formula 1: Drive to Survive, also produced by Box to Box Films, but regarded Full Contact as inferior and unlikely to create new fans of the sport.[9][10] While some praised the series for offering existing fans a look 'behind the scenes' of the championship,[11] others complained of staged conversations and a lack of access.[12]

The second season was also negatively received, with The Journal noting the show's cancellation was "no surprise" after being a "missed opportunity".[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Netflix: Six Nations Full Contact - Guinness Men's Six Nations". Six Nations Championship. 17 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 "How to watch new Six Nations Netflix documentary". The Independent. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "Six Nations: Full Contact - Release date, interviewees and latest news". Radio Times. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  4. ↑ Staff, Irish Echo. "'Six Nations: Full Contact' - Season 2 begins on Netflix". Irish Echo Newspaper. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Netflix confirm there are no plans to continue filming Six Nations in 2025". Irish Independent. 23 January 2025. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  6. ↑ "Netflix Greenlights New Docuseries with the World Cup and the Six Nations Rugby Tournament, Expanding Slate of Stories Following the World's Biggest Sporting Events". Netflix. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  7. ↑ "Six Nations: Full Contact | Official Trailer | Netflix". YouTube. 17 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  8. ↑ Hogan, Michael (24 January 2024). "Six Nations: Full Contact review – like a desperately dated rugby highlights package". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  9. 1 2 ""Rugby through a Hollywood lens" – the Six Nations: Full Contact review". Rugby World. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  10. ↑ "Netflix's latest stale sports doc fails to give rugby the cut-through it craves". The Independent. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "Why Netflix have made a huge error cancelling documentary ahead of Six Nations". Metro. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "Review: Netflix's Six Nations: Full Contact and Wrestlers". NZ Herald. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  13. ↑ Kennedy, Ciarán (30 January 2025). "Netflix miss the target again with second season of Six Nations documentary". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
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