Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the ninetieth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship.

Ten matches were played between 21 January and 17 March.

Scotland won the championship outright for the first time since 1938.

It was their twelfth outright championship, excluding a further seven shared titles.

It was also the second occasion, after 1978, in which two teams each with three victories faced off against each other in the final round of matches, with both capable of completing a Grand Slam with a victory.