Kmflett's Blog

BEARDS OF THE SIX NATIONS BRISTLE AGAIN

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that with what seems set to be the most hirsute Six Nations Rugby Championship ever underway, the Beard of the Six Nations poll will be reset for 2026

Beards were until quite recently a rarity in the Six Nations. In 2026 it is more of a rarity for players to be clean shaven.

The campaigners say that the Beard of the Six Nations is not just about beards in the abstract but also crucially about the impact they make on play.

This impact of beards on the field has meant that even noted pogonophobes such as Clive Woodward who argued in 2013 on the BBC that he wouldn’t select players with beards, are now marginal voices.

The Beard Liberation Front’s long campaign against the Woodward’s of the rugby world has achieved considerable success so much so that in 2026 there are too many hirsute players to run a weekly poll.

Rather the a one-off Best Beard of the Six Nations will take place on the final Saturday of the Championship 14th March. This will focus on the beards that have made the most impact across the five rounds

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, our panel of beard experts will be reviewing the play in each match but ultimately it’s not only the best beards, but the best beards that have the most impact on play that we’re looking for