The 2025 Women’s Six Nations kicks off this weekend. As the competition gets underway in what is a World Cup year, we assess the prospects of each team and highlight some key players to watch.
England
England claimed a sixth consecutive Women’s Six Nations title in 2024, extending their remarkable winning streak in the Championship to 29 matches. Their last defeat came against France in 2018 (18-17), while no other side has beaten them since Ireland in 2015 (11-8).
That dominance shows no signs of slowing down. In last year’s tournament, England’s average margin of victory was 46 points, with no side getting to within 20 points of them (their closest game was a 42-21 win over France).
England are not just the benchmark in Europe – they also dominate world rugby. They have won 50 of their last 51 Test matches – their sole defeat coming in the 2021 Rugby World Cup final (played in 2022).
This run includes back-to-back victories in the opening two editions of WXV1, sweeping aside the USA, New Zealand and Canada in the 2024 event.
Head coach John Mitchell has now been in charge for over a year and will be hoping to celebrate his 61st birthday on Sunday with a comfortable victory over Italy.
The Red Roses topped most statistical categories during the 2024 Women’s Six Nations, both at team and individual levels.
If we were to nitpick, their goal-kicking was subpar (57%, all from conversions) and their ruck speed could be improved. Their 3.16 seconds per attacking ruck ranked third, while in defence, two teams slowed opposition ball more effectively (England averaged 3.22 seconds).
Discipline was another area of concern. England conceded nearly 10 penalties per game (49 total) and received three yellow and two red cards across the tournament. Ironing out those issues could unlock even more potential, which is an ominous thought for their rivals.
France
France have finished second to England in each of the past five Six Nations campaigns, but have remained comfortably ahead of the chasing pack. Since 2020, they’ve gone unbeaten against every other team in the Championship (W16, D1), winning those matches by an average margin of 33 points. None of those contests have been settled by fewer than 10 points.
Last year however, they did suffer their heaviest defeat against England (42-21) in the Six Nations since a 52-7 loss in 2009.
In total, France lost four Tests in 2024, succumbing to the Red Roses twice, and losing to a strong Canada side and the Black Ferns in WXV1. They will be hoping those experiences ultimately strengthen their resolve.
At the 2024 Six Nations, France performed well across most facets of the game. But let’s look at their loss to England to see where they fell short.
Despite defeat in their 2024 clash in Bordeaux, France actually beat twice as many defenders (30 vs 14) and made nearly twice the number of line breaks (7 vs 4), yet England scored six tries to their three.
That highlighted France’s inefficiency in attacking areas. Les Bleus only managed one more red zone (22m) entry than England (11 vs 10), and their points per entry of 1.9 compared to England’s 4.2 highlighted their shortcomings.
Turnovers also proved costly. France conceded 18 in that match, on par with their tournament average of 17.2 per game. Only Italy (87) lost more turnovers than France (86) in the competition.
Improved ball security and clinical finishing will be vital if France are to truly challenge for the title.
Ireland
Irish fans could have been forgiven for not having a great deal of positivity going into 2024. Their side failed to qualify for the 2021 Rugby World Cup before picking up a first Wooden Spoon in over 20 years in the 2023 edition of the Women’s Six Nations. But last year offered plenty of optimism.
Last year’s W6N saw Ireland finish as ‘best of the rest’ in third behind the two powerhouses of England and France. That finish ensured they qualified for both this year’s Rugby World Cup and for the top division of the 2024 WXV tournament where they took their game to new heights.
Their WXV1 campaign began with a landmark win over reigning world champions New Zealand – just the third Test between the two nations, with Ireland winning two. They followed that with a competitive loss to a Canada side that had thrashed France a week earlier, and then beat the USA 26-14.
The challenge now is consistency and continuing to narrow the gap to the top two. Ireland were outclassed by England in last year’s Six Nations, suffering their heaviest defeat in over 20 years.
Still, the foundation is there for Ireland to build on. Ireland made the most carries (640) and had the quickest attacking ruck speed (2.87 seconds) in the 2024 Six Nations. They also led the tournament in dominant tackles (95).
If they can shore up the set-piece, where they ranked bottom for lineout success (61%) and second last at the scrum (92%), then they will have all the fundamentals required to start challenging the top teams.
Scotland
Scotland backed up their fourth-place finish in the 2023 Women’s Six Nations by ending their 2024 campaign in the same spot. After finishing higher than fifth just twice in the previous 16 editions, it will have been pleasing that their improved placement wasn’t just a flash in the pan.
The Scots may well have rued missing the opportunity to finish even higher. Their three-point defeat to Ireland in the final round allowed their opponents on the day to leapfrog them into third place.
But, that aside, there were still plenty of positives to take from their campaign: a first win in Wales for 20 years, a maiden victory in Italy, and a competitive 10-point loss to a France team whose previous 10 victories against Scotland had all come by at least 20.
Scotland took their Six Nations form into last year’s WXV2, beating Italy once again before securing a win against Japan, although they were made to settle for second spot in their division after defeat to Australia in their final match.
In 2025, Scotland will be aiming to finish in the top three and to close the gap behind England and France. They are certainly capable of doing just that. The team has shown signs of huge improvement since giving out professional contracts, while the involvement of many Scottish players in Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) can only accelerate their development.
One area they will be keen to focus on is their attacking output. Scotland ranked bottom for carry metres (2,763) and joint-bottom for line breaks (14) in last year’s Six Nations.
However, there were more positive signs during WXV2, particularly in the contact area, with only Australia (454) gaining more metres-in-contact than Scotland (369).
At the breakdown Scotland were also vastly improved, securing possession on 97% of their rucks, only fractionally behind South Africa, and they were one of just two teams with an average ruck speed of under three seconds (2.94s, Japan 2.59s).
Italy
Italy have really cemented themselves as a competitive force in women’s rugby across the last few seasons. Excluding games against England (who no one can beat), they have an average points difference of just -6 per game since the start of 2018 in the Six Nations, with a record of P24, W11, D1, L12 in that time.
That progress has stalled somewhat, though, with only a pair of wins against Ireland to show for their efforts in the 2023 and 2024 Championships.
A disappointing 2024 WXV2 opener saw them shut out 19-0 by Scotland, but they responded well with wins over Wales and South Africa to finish in the top half of the table.
Few teams worked harder defensively than Italy in 2024. They made more tackles than any other team in the Six Nations (862) and maintained an 87% tackle success rate – bettered only by England (90%) and France (89%).
They have a steady set-piece too. Only England (84%) recorded a better lineout success rate than Italy last year (75%), with the Azzurre boasting the best rate of any team at the scrum (97%). The foundations are there in defence and at the set-piece. If Italy can unlock their talented back line they will be a formidable outfit.
Wales
Like their male counterparts, Wales picked up the Wooden Spoon in the 2024 Women’s Six Nations, despite beating Italy in Round 5. The Azzure pulled off an impressive win against Ireland in Round 2 and picked up enough bonus points to leave Wales languishing at the bottom of the pile.
They were the third different team to pick up the unwanted utensil in three years after Scotland finished rock bottom in 2022 and Ireland did so in 2023. Ireland have made big strides since their wake-up call in 2023, and that means Wales are now likely to battle it out with Scotland and Italy to avoid ending up last in 2025.
Following that Round 5 win against Italy, Wales’ post-Six Nations form was mixed: friendly wins over Australia and Spain were offset by losses to Scotland and Australia again in WXV2, where they also fell to Italy and narrowly beat Japan.
Their attack struggled badly in the 2024 Championship. Wales scored just seven tries – the fewest in the competition – and also ranked bottom for line breaks (14), defenders beaten (75), carry dominance (26%) and tackle evasion (13%). Their gainline success rate (57%) was also the second lowest of any side.
They had plenty of possession. In fact, only England (55%) had more than them (52%), and compared to Italy (36%) and Scotland (42%) they had enough territory to do better.
One positive was the fact they were the only side not to see a player carded, despite conceding the joint-most penalties. Keeping 15 on the pitch always helps but they will need to show more intent and creativity with the ball in hand in 2025 if they want to pick up some wins.
Women’s Six Nations Players to Watch
Emma Sing (England)
Emma Sing has been named at full-back for the Red Roses’ first match and it’s no surprise after her stellar Women’s Premiership Rugby season. Not only did she win another title with Gloucester-Hartpury, but she scored a try in the final and won the Golden Boot for a second successive season (163 points).
She outshone Ellie Kildunne to secure her spot in the Opta Team of the Season. The 24-year-old was the only back to make 200+ carries (206) and the only player overall to tally 2,000 carry metres in the competition (2,356). She also ranked second for line breaks (24, tied with Kildunne) and beat 37 defenders more (110) than anyone else.
She put up formidable stats in a formidable league.
Marine Menager (France)
France maybe don’t have the list of superstars that England do, but they still have plenty of talent. One such player is Marine Menager, co-captain of the side alongside Manae Feleu.
The 28-year-old, (who’s twin sister, Romane, also plays for France) was her side’s top try scorer in the 2024 Six Nations. She crossed three times, including twice against the Red Roses. She also ranked in the top 10 players for offloads (5), breaks (5) and defenders beaten (13).
Linda Djougang (Ireland)
Linda Djougang is a real heartbeat of the Ireland team, bringing power and aggression whenever she plays. The prop loves a big tackle. At the 2024 Six Nations, she made a remarkable 17 dominant tackles, more than anyone else. She repeated this at WXV1, where she made six dominant tackles, only four players tallied more.
Pair that with the second most attacking ruck arrivals (109) and top 20 rankings for carries (42) and defenders beaten (9) at the 2024 Six Nations, and you get a sense of the work rate and impact she has across the pitch.
Alex Stewart (Scotland)
Scotland’s engine room. Alex Stewart was a relentless presence in last year’s Six Nations – no player made more tackles (74), and she was one of just four players to hit 100+ attacking rucks (102). Not a bad contribution for someone in their debut season for Scotland.
She continued to shine in the WXV2, racking up a try and strong defensive numbers in just 102 minutes of action. As captain of Edinburgh Rugby, Stewart leads by example, and the back-rower looks primed to take her game to the next level in 2025.
Alyssa D’Inca (Italy)
Alyssa D’Inca is only 22 yet already seems a mainstay of the Italy side, causing chaos whenever she plays. D’Inca scored three tries in last year’s Championship – only three England players managed more – and brought serious bite in contact too, despite her size.
Her tally of 11 dominant tackles in the 2024 Championship was more than any other player, while she won more turnovers (9) than anyone else– back or forward – in the tournament last time out.
Alongside this power game, she also ranked inside the top 10 for metres carried (394) and breaks (4) and second for defenders beaten (22), behind only World Player of the Year Kildunne. Her average of 14 metres per carry was the best of any player (min. 10 carries).
Alex Callender (Wales)
Alex Callender is set to miss the opening game of the 2025 Six Nations, and she will be a big loss until she returns. She topped the Opta Index for the 2024-25 Women’s Premiership Rugby season after a standout year with Harlequins.
How good have @AlexCallender3 and Silvia Turani been this year!?They both make the OPTA @ThePWR team of the season. #COYQ t.co/JF0JpBRXdi pic.twitter.com/54lmMu8mYT
— Harlequins Women (@HarlequinsWomen) March 20, 2025She is the epitome of an all-action flanker, ranking among the top 15 players for tackles per 80 (17), carries per 80 (15) and turnovers won per 80 (1.5). This impact across the pitch is critical for Wales to gain the momentum they need to have a successful campaign.
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Women’s Six Nations 2025 Preview: Team-by-Team Analysis and Players to Watch Opta Analyst.
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