The annual rugby union competition has once again captivated the attention of sport lovers across the country, with many hitting the pubs to either watch the event or celebrate their favourite team's wins.
Dojo, the UK payment provider, decided to run research assessing which city has the most patriotic pub goers judging by the increase in pub sales during the Six Nations events.
It won't come as a surprise that Edinburgh came at the very top of the most patriotic cities list with an impressive 36.4 percent increase in pub sales following Scotland vs England win on the opening night of the championship, February 5.
Dojo researchers compared the number of pub sales from the previous week to the one commencing the beginning of the Six Nations competition to see how much the drive to support their team would influence the city's pub goers.
Not only did Edinburgh fans make it to the top of the list, but they also left the second-best far behind, as Southampton showed an increase of only 8.6 percent. Following Cardiff with its 6.2 percent increase, London came forth, showing a rise of 4.2 percent.
This data makes a promising sign for Edinburgh's hospitality sector, which suffered significant losses during the previous years full of Covid-related restrictions. This year, the Six Nations Championship marks a powerful comeback for Edinburgh pubs, as data shows an astonishing 199.6 percent spike in sales compared to the same weekend in 2020.
Jon Knott, Head of Customer Insight at Dojo, said: "Despite what could be seen as continuous setbacks for the hospitality industry after several waves of Covid variants, Brits are still flocking to the pubs.
"Local and independent hospitality have borne the brunt of Covid restrictions and social distancing over the past two years, with many being forced to close their doors. But sporting events have long been pivotal to the industry as a reinvigorating crowd drawer, and the Six Nations is looking to be no different.
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"Already we can see that spending is up by over 100 percent in the UK's capitals Edinburgh and London, with smaller towns and cities like Canterbury and Tonbridge starting to follow suit. And it's really positive for independent and locally owned pubs to see this shift in customer behaviour from avoiding pubs at all costs to slowly filtering back in.
"Obviously, it's still key that pubs remain safe and use hygiene measures to mitigate the spread of the virus, but it is a step towards a more fruitful future for the nation's beloved boozers."
Next Saturday, February 26, the Six Nations Championship will see Scotland vs France clash on the playing field to kick off week three of the competition.
