Tim Peake will watch England and Scotland's 6 Nations match from space

published 5 February 2016

Upon hearing the BBC wanted to treat you to a private screening of Scotland v England in the RBS Six Nations, most rugby fans would be over the moon.

Not Sussex-born astronaut Tim Peake, however - he’s over the Earth.

A good 400km over us in fact, as that's the distance the live footage of the BBC’s coverage of tomorrow’s game will travel when the broadcaster attempts to make global - nay, solar system history, beaming the fixture all the way up to the European Space Agency’s feed, whereupon our man will be cheering England on. Presumably with a dodgy chorus of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot and packet of freeze dried pork scratchings.

“I know that space is a hostile environment, but Murrayfield, for the old Calcutta Cup, that’s a whole different matter. And Scotland has a fire in their belly; you could hear their World Cup rage from up here in space… May the best team win! Come on England!”

In a bid to get himself buoyed for the game, Peake will even be live Tweeting his experiences via his personal account, which you can find here.

While it may be a BBC first, news also reaches us that it won’t be the first time English sport has reached space after Peake reportedly saw the ball struck by Chris Waddle during the World Cup '90 shootout float past him last week.