The 1907 Home Nations Championship was the twenty‑fifth series of the annual rugby union competition contested by the four Home Nations of the United Kingdom: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The tournament was played during the 1906‑1907 season and comprised three matches for each side, with a total of six matches.
Format
- Each nation played the other three once, with matches alternating between home and away venues.
- Two points were awarded for a win, one point for a draw and no points for a loss.
- The team with the most points at the conclusion of the round‑robin was declared champion.
- If a team defeated the other three opponents, it achieved the Triple Crown.
Participating Teams
| Nation | Representative Body |
|---|---|
| England | Rugby Football Union (RFU) |
| Ireland | Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) |
| Scotland | Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) |
| Wales | Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) |
Results Summary
| Date | Home Team | Away Team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 January 1907 | Wales | England | 6 – 0 |
| 11 January 1907 | England | Scotland | 3 – 0 |
| 29 January 1907 | Ireland | Scotland | 22 – 0 |
| 4 March 1907 | Wales | Scotland | 26 – 0 |
| 20 March 1907 | England | Ireland | 15 – 9 |
| 1 April 1907 | Wales | Ireland | 29 – 0 |
All scores are reported in contemporary match records.
Final Table
| Position | Nation | Played | Won | Lost | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wales | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | England | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Ireland | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Scotland | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Champion and Triple Crown
Wales secured the championship with a perfect record of three victories, thereby also winning the Triple Crown—their first Triple Crown since the 1902 season.
Notable Aspects
- The 1907 edition was the final Home Nations Championship before the inclusion of France, which transformed the competition into the Five Nations Championship in 1910.
- Wales’ forward pack, often referenced as the "Terrible Eight," was considered particularly dominant, contributing to the large margins in their victories.
- The tournament featured low scoring overall, reflecting the era’s emphasis on forward play and tactical kicking rather than expansive backline movements.
Legacy
The success of Wales in 1907 reinforced their status as a pre‑eminent rugby nation in the early 20th century and set the stage for the later expansion of the tournament. The competition remains a key reference point for historians studying the development of international rugby union tactics and nation‑level rivalry.
