The 1996 Five Nations Championship was the sixty-seventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship, and the first in the sport's professional era, which officially began in August 1995. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-second series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played over five weekends from 20 January to 16 March. England were the winners, losing only the first game with France, thus missing the Grand Slam, but winning the Triple Crown. France went into the final week needing a victory to clinch the championship themselves thanks to superior points difference, but lost by a single point to Wales, who not only avoided a whitewash but climbed above Ireland on points difference in doing so.

1996 Five Nations Championship
Date	20 January - 16 March 1996
Countries	England  Ireland  France  Scotland  Wales
Tournament statistics
Champions	England (22nd title)
Triple Crown	England (19th title)
Matches played	10
Tries scored	30 (3 per match)
Top point scorer(s)	Paul Grayson (64 points)
Top try scorer(s)	Michael Dods Émile Ntamack (3 tries)
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Scotland missed out on a fourth Grand Slam after losing to England at Murrayfield, this was the second successive season Scotland lost out on a Grand Slam.