Drinks sales: The final score 

Across all Six Nations fixtures, total drinks sales by value were 4.1% lower than on the equivalent days in the 2025 tournament. This is broadly in line with NIQ data that shows the On-Premise battling for year-on-year growth in general this year, with many consumers keeping a tight lid on their spending.  

A breakdown of sales shows there was growth on only three of the nine matchdays. Two of these came in the first fortnight, reflecting strong interest at the start of the tournament. Sales rose 3.9% on Saturday 7 February, when England, Scotland and Wales were all in action; and by 5.2% on Saturday 14 February, when England played Scotland in one of the tournament’s highest profile games. The second of these also benefited from Valentine’s Day, which sustained sales beyond the rugby. 

However, growth tailed off towards the conclusion of the tournament – partly because England’s chances of winning the tournament soon ended. Sales on the last two matchdays on Saturday 7 and Saturday 14 March were down on the equivalent days in 2025 by 12.9% and 6.2% respectively. 

Categories: LAD leads

As is usually the case during big sporting tournaments, Long Alcoholic Drinks (LAD) categories received the biggest sales uplifts. They generated well over half of all drinks sales on every matchday, and increased their share year-on-year on seven of them.  

LAD’s performance was partly driven by stout, which has a close association with rugby and has grown in popularity in many pubs and bars in the last 12 months. Stout’s Rate of Sale (RoS) and share of drinks sales both rose on each of the nine matchdays, and they tended to peak on days when Ireland played.  

Among other categories, soft drinks also achieved a modest increase in share on seven of the nine matchdays, while spirits were down on all but one. This may reflect some consumers’ switches from alcoholic to non-alcoholic drinks, for either moderation or financial reasons.  

Dayparts: Sales track kick-offs

Daypart breakdowns show how spikes in LAD sales coincided with the timing of games. On Saturday 7 February, England’s kick-off time of 4.40pm meant exactly half (50%) of the day’s LAD sales were generated during the lunchtime and happy hour periods – more than usual for those segments. On Saturday 14 March, when three games followed in succession through the afternoon and evening, sales were distributed more evenly. Matchdays had less of an effect on spirits sales, which usually peak in late-night periods. Patterns were little changed, with most rugby fans sticking to beer and cider rather than short serves.