Rugby's greatest championship has been played in some form or another since 1883, becoming the modern Six Nations in 2000. How have the various participants fared over the years, and which players have gone down in the sport's folklore for their performances in the tournament?

Winner, top try-scorer, breakthrough star and more - Will a returning Antoine Dupont lead France to victory? And is there any end to Wales’ woe? A thrilling campaign

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France, led by their ever-growing contingent of world-class stars, head into the 2025 Six Nations looking to knock Ireland off the top of the table for the first time since 2022.

France captain Antoine Dupont said Toulouse's thrashing of Leicester in the Champions Cup was the perfect warm-up for the Six Nations.

France face their trickier biennial Six Nations itinerary in oddly numbered years, with England in Twickenham and Ireland in the Aviva Stadium. Of their six titles since the expansion to the Six Nations, France have won only one championship in odd years.

He has this year’s tournament in his sights and he leads a French team that is bursting with talent and determination.

Dupont is one of 13 Toulouse players included in Fabien Galthie’s 42-man France squad for the Six Nations, which begin on Jan 31. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Two returning players and French teams' results in Europe put Les Bleus in good heart for the Six Nations despite some injury concerns.

Following the Six Nations squad announcements and with the action closing in fast, our focus turns to those players set to miss part or in some cases all of the Championship.

January is almost over and the 25th edition of the Six Nations is about to lift the gloom. To celebrate, here are 25 reasons to be cheerful, from tactical nuances to star players and a potentially blockbuster television pundit.

"It gets us started on preparing for the Six Nations championship," said Dupont. "We saw that everyone was in great shape, able to move and hit it up, too." Dupont is one of 13 Toulouse players ...