A Weekend of Sport: Super Bowl and Six Nations

Submitted by Foreign Students on Fri 03/02/12

This weekend is one dominated by sport. If you hate sport and want to try and get away from it, good luck. America will be enjoying one of the biggest sporting events of the year- the Super Bowl, whilst the Six Nations rugby tournament is kicking off in Britain and Europe.

The Super Bowl Spectacle

First up, the behemoth that is the Super Bowl. Each year the finalé of the American Football season seems to get bigger, grander and slightly more ridiculous. This Sunday, Super Bowl XLVI will be played between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots in Indianapolis, and promises not to disappoint. Madonna, supported by MIA and Nicki Minaj, has been confirmed as the performer for the famous half time show.

The statistics surrounding the Super Bowl are just astounding:

Last year 163 million Americans watched at least some of the Super Bowl on TV
Adverts start at $3.5 million for a 30 second slot
15,000 tons of snacks will be eaten in America on Sunday, with the average viewer consuming 1,200 calories during the game

To get an idea of the huge operation that goes in to creating a spectacle the size of the Super Bowl, watch the video below of the last time these two teams met, four years ago.

Six Nations Kicks Off

However, America isn't having all the sporting fun this weekend. In Europe the Six Nations rugby tournament is starting tomorrow, with England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy all fighting it out for the trophy. The two teams from mainland Europe (France and Italy) are starting it all off in Paris on Saturday morning, before Scotland take on England in Edinburgh in the afternoon.

France start as tournament favourites after reaching the final of the 2011 World Cup, whilst Wales, Ireland and England are all expected to challenge. The beauty of the Six Nations is that the competing teams are all so close together in terms of geography, making almost every single match a big rivalry.

So, whether the grand spectacle of the Super Bowl gets you going, or the more understated and brutal Six Nations is more your thing, you are in luck this weekend. If neither of them especially tickle your fancy, no worries, there is always the England vs Pakistan cricket Test and the usual domestic football to keep you entertained.

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