England’s Dominance in Women’s Rugby
In the 1988 NBA three-point shooting contest, defending champion Larry Bird looked around at his competition and asked, “Which one of you guys is playing for second?” This question echoes the current state of women’s rugby, where England stands as an unbeatable force. While England’s players may not be as bold as Bird, they must often feel the same confidence given their remarkable achievements.
England has won 21 out of 30 championships, including the last seven titles. Their dominance is highlighted by a world record of 33 consecutive test wins, capped off by a historic Women’s Rugby World Cup victory in September. The final match was played in front of a record crowd of 82,000 at Twickenham, showcasing the growing popularity of the sport.
Coaching and Squad Changes
John Mitchell, who has remained undefeated as coach for two years, has signed on for the next World Cup in 2029 in Australia. After the recent World Cup, there was some turnover in the squad. Captain Zoe Aldcroft, Abbie Ward, Lark Atkin-Davies, and Rosie Galligan are pregnant, while Tatyana Heard is sidelined with a foot injury. Emily Scarratt and Abby Dow have retired, with Scarratt moving into Mitchell’s coaching staff.
Despite this, Mitchell declared a clean slate for squad selection, but his 32-woman squad includes 25 World Cup winners. The only new cap for their Six Nations opener against Ireland on Saturday is 19-year-old forward Haineala Lutui, daughter of former Tonga men’s captain Aleki Lutui.
Leadership and New Captains
The captaincy was given to center Megan Jones, known for her feisty and selfless play. Jones made her debut at 18 against New Zealand in 2015, played in three World Cups, and was the only England woman shortlisted for world’s best player of 2025. On England’s unshakeable ability to succeed, Jones said, “We’re just highly competitive humans who want to keep winning.”
Rivals and Challenges
France has been the eternal bridesmaid to England, finishing as runners-up every year since 2020. They suffer from 10-20 minute lapses that cost them crucial matches. France was the least experienced of the World Cup semifinalists and bowed out to England 35-17. Gaëlle Mignot, the rare female head coach, was replaced by François Ratier, who took Canada to the 2014 World Cup final and recently guided Stade Bordelais to back-to-back titles in the French championship.
Ratier will debut six against Italy in Grenoble on Saturday. France has the advantage of three home matches, culminating in a hoped-for, last-round title decider against England in Bordeaux on May 17.
Italy and Other Competitors
Italy, captained again by No. 8 Elisa Giordano, has picked nine France-based players. Coach Fabio Roselli has focused on defense to contain the French backs. The women hope to beat France for the first time on French soil, inspired by their men’s first win over England last month.
Dynamo flanker Erin King leads Ireland after missing the World Cup due to a knee injury. King anchors the back row with Aoife Wafer, last year’s Six Nations MVP. Hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald will mark her 50th Irish cap by also facing her wife for the first time, England wing Claudia Moloney-MacDonald. Ticket sales for the Twickenham match have passed 75,000, ensuring a new Six Nations attendance record.
Wales also hopes to beat its crowd record of 21,186 set against England last year when it hosts Scotland at Principality Stadium on Saturday. Wales was whitewashed in 2025 for the first time but coach Sean Lynn has had time to bed in, introduced new coaches and nine new caps, and chosen one captain, flanker Kate Williams, one of 12 players from unbeaten Gloucester Hartpury in the English championship.
Scotland beat Wales 38-8 en route to the World Cup quarterfinals but from that win stars Fran McGhie (three tries), Evie Gallagher, Sarah Bonar and Lisa Thomson are injured and three others have retired. Teenage flanker Emily Coubrough will debut under new coach Sione Fukofuka, who led the United States at the World Cup.
