2009 Six Nations Championship in total. England finished as runners-up, and they also won the Calcutta Cup. The 2009 tournament featured the first Friday night game in its history, played between France and Wales at the Stade de France. The tournament began on 7 February 2009, when England hosted Italy in the earlier of the day's two matches. Ireland played France later that evening, with Scotland versus Wales the following day. The reigning champions on entering the 2009 tournament were Wales, who won the Grand Slam and Triple Crown in 2008. The winners of both accolades in 2009 were Ireland, with Ronan O'Gara's dropped
Explorers Grand Slam complete a "True Explorers Grand Slam". In June 2018, Zhang Liang became the second person to complete this kind of Grand Slam. In 2011, former Wales rugby union international Richard Parks became the first person ever to complete the (Last Degrees) Grand Slam within a single calendar year, doing so within seven months. Cheryl Bart is the first Australian female and the 31st person worldwide to complete the Explorer's Grand Slam. She completed the North Pole on 22 April 2013 AEST. Vanessa O'Brien became the first woman to complete the (Last Degree) Grand Slam under a single calendar year, doing