The popularity of the Six Nations is without doubt after this latest study

Yes it is only three weeks away.

There is something special about this time of year. Spring is coming and with it brings a sense of optimism for the forthcoming year. The days begin to get longer, the wet, cold and dreary weather becomes less frequent (hopefully) and everyone looks forward to the summer. With Ireland enjoying an encouraging 2016, confidence is high with regards to Joe Schmidt's men as we look forward to the opening round of the 2017 Six Nations. The Six Nations is unique in that the relative small number of teams and fixtures result in a high-quality product for viewers, fans and sponsors alike. Most teams are capable of beating one another, maybe not Italy, but they are improving under Conor O'Shea which is reflected by their victory over South Africa in November. The result of all this is that people really want to attend these matches live. Have you obtained a ticket for either of Ireland's home games against France or England? Probably not. The demand for tickets is reflected in a new study carried out by European football's governing body, UEFA. According to The Independent, figures from this study reveal that the Six Nations was the best attended sporting event in the world in 2015, ahead of the likes of the NFL and the FIFA World Cup the year before. Of course, the smaller number of matches and teams is a key factor in this statistic, but it is impressive nonetheless. The study states that an average 72,000 people attended Six Nations matches in 2015, beating 68,400 for the NFL and 53,592 for the 2014 World Cup. It was also revealed in the same study that the Rugby World Cup in 2015 came in fourth place in that list with an average attendance of 51,621. So it is safe to say, in the northern hemisphere at least, that the sport of rugby is in good health. Now, does anyone have a spare ticket?