Forget the chimes of Big Ben, the new year begins with the Six Nations as far as I am concerned. My favourite time of year - and here's ten reasons why this year's Championship will once again deliver...

1. Your Valentines Day dilemma answered
What could be more romantic than a trip to Paris to see the Scots take on France at the Stade de France? And with a bit of luck you could be in a cosy bistro in the 3ème arrondissement in time to see Wales and England go at it in Cardiff. No need to thank me - just thank my wife for understanding why I will not be able to take her out.

2. Friday night lights
The Championship will break new ground this year with the first-ever Friday night game when France entertain Wales under the lights of the Stade de France on February 27. OK, thousands of fans will not be able to make the trip across the channel (unless they skip work) but this latest innovation is most likely here to stay so let’s embrace it.

3. BBC commentators dust off their microphones
I make no excuses for being a fan of ex-Scrum pundit John Inverdale and the likes of Jiffy, Jerry, Austin et al and the addition of Lawrence Dallaglio should bring some further impact. Their commentators however are sure to infuriate as much as inform. Get ready for some further gems from the Eddie Butler and Brian Moore double-act (Cardiff should once again be a real feast for the ears) while messrs Cotter and Mullins vie for second-billing.

4. Lions carrot promises added from Home Unions
Now, normally the Celtic rivalry, cross-continent bragging rights or the determination to stick it to England are reason enough for Europe’s elite to bring their best game to the Championship table. However, this year we have the mouth-watering prospect of a Lions tour looming on the horizon ensuring endless personal battles throughout the next couple of months between those players hoping to nail down a tour berth. Expect more intensity, more dazzling performances and sadly more casualties.

5. Even my Mum knows about it
My mum’s passing interest in rugby only used to flicker into life to check if I had finished a match in one piece. But there is one exception to that statement – the Six Nations. OK, she won’t be chugging back beers berating Nigel Owens’ failure to police the offside line but will at least be aware that it’s a busy time for her son.

6. Silverware
Not only is there the Six Nations Championship trophy on offer, and the more recently introduced Triple Crown platter, we also have a variety of other fetching silverware up for grabs. The oldest is the Calcutta Cup, contested between England and Scotland since 1879. Elsewhere there is the Centenary Quaich (Scotland v Ireland), the Millennium Trophy (England v Ireland), the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy (Italy v France). Thankfully there is no actual Wooden Spoon for the side propping up the table.

7. Jolly boys' (and girls') outing
One of the great traditions of the Championship is the 'away day'. Thousands of fans will be gearing up for one or more trips over the next couple of months with exotic destinations like Paris and Rome enticingg some while the post-match delights of St Mary’s Street in Cardiff awaits others. Despite the current economic climate (and the Six Nations Committee’s decision to schedule a Friday night game) fans are once again set to provide a financial boost to hotels, restaurants and bars across the continent.

8. History
The Home Nations have been battling it out for northern hemisphere supremacy since 1883 – that’s 125 years of history to get your teeth stuck into. Compare that to the Tri-Nations that began in 1996! (OK, the Bledisloe Cup dates back to the 1930s and South Africa and New Zealand have been going at it since the 1920s). That gives us plenty of material to draw on be it on the pages of this website or in the pub. And where there’s history there’s hope – except for Italy where England are concerned as they have never beaten their illustrious European neighbours whereas they have beaten their other rivals at least once (albeit not in the Six Nations). But then, there's always this year?

9. You can get a ticket!
It’s not every year you can get a ticket to your country’s biggest rugby fixture but thanks to the credit crunch and some indifferent form there have been plenty of tickets up for grabs. Even tickets for Twickenham went on a limited general sale after some clubs returned their allocation (I can’t remember that happening for matches against the likes of France). This fact may also say something about their hopes for Martin Johnson’s side this year. And there’s always the secondary ticket market that appears to be booming.

10. Scrum.com will be there every step of the way
This will be the first Six Nations for the latest incarnation of Scrum.com. We’ll be providing unrivalled coverage of this year’s Championship including live commentary from every game and in-depth analysis from our team of correspondents. And for those not already signed up – don’t forget you can put your mouse where your mouth is and give our Fantasy Game a crack. Get involved!