How to Run a Sweepstake for the Six Nations

How does it work?

It's simple - everyone pays the same amount, and in return, receives a randomly assigned team. You can do this by drawing teams from a hat or using our sweepstake generator below. Simply pop in the names and emails of your sweepstake participants (it doesn’t matter how many) and you’re ready to go.

‘But there’s only 6 teams’ I hear you say! That’s totally fine, participants will be randomly assigned to teams, so a number of people may have a team. Yes they share the winnings, but the more people playing, the more winnings there are to share! 

Now to collect the money. Download Collctiv for free and start collecting money today!

What is the 6 nations tournament?

The Six Nations Championship is the oldest and most prestigious annual rugby union competition in the Northern Hemisphere, contested by the national teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. The tournament evolved from the 19th-century Home Nations Championship and the later Five Nations, reaching its current six-team format in 2000 with the inclusion of Italy. 

Played over seven weeks each February and March, the competition follows a round-robin format where each team plays the others once, alternating home and away advantage each year. It is famous for its fierce historic rivalries and the unique atmospheres of iconic stadiums like Twickenham, the Stade de France, and Murrayfield.

Beyond the overall championship title, the tournament features several high-stakes "sub-competitions" that carry significant cultural weight. The most coveted achievement is the Grand Slam, awarded to a team that wins all five of its matches. There is also the Triple Crown, a title contested only by the four "Home Nations" (England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales) and won if one of them defeats the other three. Additionally, teams compete for specific rivalry trophies, such as the Calcutta Cup between England and Scotland. Since 2017, a bonus point system has been used to encourage attacking play, ensuring that the final "Super Saturday"—where all three concluding matches are played back-to-back—often provides a dramatic and tense finale to the sporting calendar.

How do I collect money for a sweepstake?

So you’ve got a commitment from everyone, the teams are all ready to be selected from your hat (or our generator), but before you go any further you need people to chip in their entry fee. None of this works without the prize money for the winning team, right?

This is the part where you may be preparing yourself for the dread that comes with chasing people up to pay the entry fee you were promised days or weeks ago. No matter how many reminders you send via WhatsApp, Slack, or email…people still aren’t paying up. Especially if they get a team that is highly unlikely to win! Collctiv makes it easy to collect money from groups of people, no matter who they bank with and no matter where they live. We’ve made it super simple for you as the organiser to collect money, and even easier for your friends to send you money.

Here's how it works:‍

1. Set up your pot: Let your friends know what you are requesting money for, how much they should put in, and when you need their money by.
2. Share your custom payment link or QR code via WhatsApp, text, email, Slack - wherever! No matter where your friends live, they don’t need to create an account or download the app to send you money; they just open their digital wallet and double-click to pay.
3. Sit back and watch those funds roll in!

To find answers to your questions and learn more about the guidelines and regulations, please visit the Gambling Commission website, the responsible regulatory organisation

Making the Most of the Six Nations Format

The Six Nations is a unique beast when it comes to sweepstakes. Unlike the World Cup with its massive field of teams, the Six Nations is intimate, intense, and over in a flash of five rounds. Because there are only six teams involved, you might think a sweepstake is "too small"—but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, the smaller pool of teams makes for a much higher level of engagement.

The "Multiple Entry" Strategy

In a 32-team tournament, most people are stuck with one team and, if that team gets knocked out in the groups, they lose interest. In the Six Nations, you have two great options to keep the pot big and the fun flowing:

1. The Syndicate Model: If you have a large office of 60 people, 10 people are assigned to each nation. They chip in £5 each, creating a massive £300 prize pot. If Ireland wins, those 10 people split the winnings and head to the pub for a celebratory round.
2. The Portfolio Model: If you have a smaller group of 10 friends, everyone pays for three "entries." They might end up holding the fate of England, Italy, and France in their hands. This keeps everyone invested in almost every single match of the weekend.

Beyond the Winner: Creative Prize Ideas

Because rugby is a game of statistics and specific milestones, you don't have to just reward the overall tournament winner. To make your sweepstake stand out, consider splitting your Collctiv pot to reward:

• The Grand Slam Bonus: If a team wins all five matches, the person holding that team gets a "bonus" from the pot.
• The Wooden Spoon: In rugby tradition, the team that finishes last is "awarded" the Wooden Spoon. In a sweepstake, giving a small "consolation prize" (perhaps just their entry fee back) to the person who drew the bottom-tier team keeps the banter alive until the very last whistle of Super Saturday.
• The Top Try Scorer: Assign the top six players (one from each nation) as a secondary "mini-sweepstake" within your main pot.

Why the Six Nations is the Ultimate Social Event

There is something about February and March that makes rugby the perfect social glue. The weather is usually grey, the holidays are over, and everyone is looking for an excuse to get together. Running a sweepstake isn't just about the money; it’s about the narrative.

The Rivalries

When you run a Six Nations sweepstake, you aren't just watching a game; you're stepping into history. You have the Calcutta Cup (England vs Scotland), the Millennium Trophy (England vs Ireland), and the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy (France vs Italy).

When your friend "Dave from Accounting" draws Scotland, he suddenly becomes the loudest person in the room during the Calcutta Cup. This tribalism—even when it's randomly assigned—is what makes the tournament so special. It turns "just another Saturday" into a high-stakes event where every tackle and every penalty kick matters.

Super Saturday: The Greatest Day in Sport?

If you are running a sweepstake, you need to prepare for Super Saturday. This is the final day of the tournament where all six teams play back-to-back. Usually, the fixtures are scheduled so that the championship is decided in the very final match of the day.

Organising the Finale

If you’ve used Collctiv to gather the funds, you’ll have a clear list of who is still in the running come the final weekend. This is the perfect time to:

• Host a Watch Party: Use some of the leftover "admin" funds (if the group agrees) to buy snacks for the final games.
• Live Updates: Drop the standings into your group chat. Since rugby uses a bonus-point system (4 points for a win, 1 point for scoring 4 tries, 1 point for losing by 7 or less), the leaderboard can flip-flop ten times in one afternoon.
• Instant Payout: The best part of using an app like Collctiv is that as soon as the final whistle blows on Super Saturday and the trophy is lifted, you can tap a button and send the winnings to the lucky winner's bank account instantly. No "I'll pay you on Monday" excuses—just pure, instant glory.

Avoiding the "Organiser Headache"

We’ve all been the person who tries to do something nice for the group, only to end up stressed. Running a rugby sweepstake should be as fun for you as it is for the participants. Here is how to keep it "faff-free":

1. Digital Over Physical

In the old days, you’d have to cut out slips of paper, find a hat, and make sure everyone was physically present for the draw. In 2026, we’re all too busy for that. Use the generator, take a screenshot, and post it to the group. It’s transparent, it’s fast, and no one can claim you "lost" their name.

2. Set a Hard Deadline

In rugby, the game starts exactly on the referee's whistle. Your sweepstake should be the same. Set a deadline for entries 24 hours before the first kickoff (usually a Friday night). Use your Collctiv link to see exactly who has paid. If they haven't paid by the deadline? They don't get a team. It sounds harsh, but it's the only way to ensure the prize pot is locked and loaded before the first try is scored.

3. The "Social Account" Factor

One of the biggest hurdles in group activities is the "barrier to entry." If people have to log in, create a password, or download a bulky app just to pay £5, they won't do it. That’s why the Collctiv payment link is a game-changer. Your friends can pay in the time it takes them to check a notification. By removing the friction, you increase your participation rate, which means a bigger prize for the winner and more fun for the group.

A Tradition in the Making

Whether you’re a die-hard rugby fan who knows their "rucks" from their "mauls," or someone who just likes the social atmosphere of a crowded pub, a Six Nations sweepstake is the perfect way to engage. It’s about the drama of a last-minute drop goal, the heartbreak of a missed conversion, and the sheer joy of winning a pot of cash because Italy pulled off a historic upset in Rome.

The Six Nations is a tournament of passion, history, and—most importantly—community. By taking the "work" out of the organisation, you can focus on what really matters: cheering on your (randomly assigned) team and enjoying the best rugby the Northern Hemisphere has to offer.

Organisers bring people together

Collctiv has helped more than two million people from over 140 countries come together for the moments and experiences that matter by making it easy to collect and spend group money. Download Collctiv and start collecting money today.