2026 Guinness Women's Six Nations preview: Predictions, facts and key players

This weekend the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations will get underway.

For five of the next six weekends we will be treated to 15 matches as some of the world’s best go toe-to-toe in the seven month sunset of the most successful Women’s Rugby World Cup to date.

Already we know England’s tournament opener against Ireland at Allianz Stadium will be a tournament record attendance. Over 75,000 tickets have been sold for the clash. It will be England’s first since beating Canada in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final at the same venue in front of a world record crowd in September.

This Spring there will also be matches at the Aviva Stadium, Stade Atlantique, Principality Stadium and Scottish Gas Murrayfield. Big venues for big games.

Every team has their own storyline. World champions, England, need to maintain the unerring dominance that has seen them win it all and a world record 33 matches in a row.

Then there are France and Scotland, who all set sail on campaigns under new management. The need for good first impressions is at an all-time high.

Wales have been bullish about what they needed to do better after their group stage exit at the Women’s Rugby World Cup. Can they achieve the goals they have set themselves?

Italy similarly flattered to deceive. After a promising Guinness Women’s Six Nations last time out Fabio Roselli’s team collapsed in the Women’s Rugby World Cup. Half a year is a long time to reflect on what went wrong.

All this before you get to Scott Bemand’s Ireland. They have a new captain in Erin King. Their head coach has been tied down to a new contract. The mood is, rightly, positive.

Womens Six Nations

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

England Women

0

0

0

0

0

2

France Women

0

0

0

0

0

3

Ireland Women

0

0

0

0

0

4

Italy Women

0

0

0

0

0

5

Scotland Women

0

0

0

0

0

6

Wales Women

0

0

0

0

0

So now, before any tackles are made in anger or anyone crosses the whitewash, here are RugbyPass’ predictions for the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations…

England

There is an element of wonder as to what England have left to achieve. They have the world record for matches won in a row [33]. Of course, the Red Roses are world champions.

In 2026 we will see a slightly new Red Roses. Meg Jones is captain of the side after Zoe Stratford announced her pregnancy. The vastly experienced Lark Atkin-Davies and Abbie Ward are away from the game for the same reason.

There is also a space on the wing up for grabs following the retirement of Abby Dow. Millie David, Bo Westcombe Evans and Mia Venner are all ready to step up.

Winners of the Women’s Six Nations every year since 2019, Jones has claimed that the Red Roses want to become the first men’s or women’s team to win the tournament after a Women’s Rugby World Cup title.

You can and should expect the Red Roses to walk away with an eighth Championship in a row. Probably a Grand Slam too.

Key player: Sadia Kabeya

England’s Red Roses do not lack for world class options. In Sadia Kabeya they not only have a world class 24-year-old, John Mitchell also has a player with room for growth. It is a truly frightening prospect.

Player of the Match in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final – she was also the tournament’s top tackler – Kabeya has been in good form for club side Loughborough Lightning this season. Made for the big occasion.

What they said: “Now we get the opportunity to start a Six Nations with a massive crowd. We need to continue the visibility. We need to continue to perform. That’s the responsibility of a Red Rose. I’d really love us to continue to create these audiences and this visibility because I think that’s the only way that we’re going to be able to get to where to want to quicker.” – John Mitchell, England head coach

RugbyPass prediction: 1st

France

Exactly what France team we will see at this Guinness Women’s Six Nations is of immense intrigue. Their new head coach François Ratier has included a whopping 16 uncapped players in his team. The most of any squad in this tournament.

That disparity in experience means it is hard to gauge exactly how France will fare. On one hand it could be seamless for the fourth-ranked team in the world. On the other hand, things could go horribly wrong.

Ratier will have to rely on the experienced players in the squad heavily as the younger players in the squad get up to speed. Intriguing. That is the only way to describe France.

Key player: Madoussou Fall Raclot

You could well argue that Madoussou Fall Raclot has been one of France’s most important players since her 2019 debut. Now the 28-year-old’s importance to her country takes on a new meaning as one of the players to have been coached by Ratier at Stade Bordelais.

Just like at international level, Fall Raclot offers consistency in bucketloads and has played some of her best rugby since she traded Paris for Bordeaux in 2021. Likely to form a partnership with Manaé Feleu in the second row, expect a lot of good to come from this French engine room in the weeks to come.

What they said: “We have to be more clinical. The French team needs to be more clinical, more technical. When it matters, under pressure, they know how to play rugby. We know how to counter-attack to play in chaos, to create things from nothing, but it’s always in reaction. Now, we need to put our game forward and control what we’re doing, and keep that flair, keep that willingness to play, to create things, but we need to be way more consistent.” – François Ratier, France head coach

RugbyPass prediction: 3rd

Ireland

Scott Bemand has stated his desire to take Ireland up the World Rugby rankings in this next Women’s Rugby World Cup cycle. It is a bold claim. There is a lot of work to do, but all the talent at the team’s disposal, the potential is certainly there.

Potential was what made their Women’s Rugby World Cup exit so disappointing. A quarter-final loss to France, in which the Irish conceded a 13-0 half-time lead, meant that the Green Wave retreated back home wondering ‘what if?’

And rightly so. Ireland have a young age profile. Their new captain, Erin King, is just 22. As are Ruth Campbell, Dannah O’Brien and Aoife Dalton. Reigning Guinness Women’s Six Nations Player of the Championship, Aoife Wafer, is 23.

This group’s development is Bemand’s top priority, especially with another 10 uncapped players among the squad.

Key player: Erin King

It is not unfair to say we were robbed of Erin King at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

A knee injury sustained last Guinness Women’s Six Nations kept her out of the tournament. Now she is back as Ireland’s captain.

 

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Already the 22-year-old has recaptured some of her pre-injury form. She not only finished the Celtic Challenge as a champion with the Wolfhounds, but also the tournament’s top try-scorer with nine tries.

What they said: “We want to take and progress results. We’ve got three home games. We would want to be getting our best version out there, but we want to win games. We want to win games at home, and we’ve got two really tough games away from home [versus England and France], but we believe we’ve advanced our game.” – Scott Bemand, Ireland head coach

RugbyPass prediction: 2nd

Italy

Perhaps the only disappointment bigger than Ireland’s at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup was Italy’s.

Losses to South Africa and France in Pool D meant that Favio Roselli’s team crashed out of the competition at the group stage. Hot on the heels of a Guinness Women’s Six Nations in which they beat Scotland and Wales.

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

5

Draws

0

Wins

0

Average Points scored

31

10

First try wins

80%

Home team wins

60%

In the build-up to this tournament the side have spoken of their desire to improve and how they want to put women’s rugby in Italy onto a new plane.

There is little doubt that Italy have the talent. Players ply their trade at home in Serie A Elite Femminile, Élite 1 Féminine and in PWR. Stitching all that together has, and will remain, the challenge.

Nine uncapped players are in the squad for this Spring. You can probably expect growing pains. Surprises too, most likely.

Key player: Elisa Giordano

Such immense Women’s Rugby World Cup disappointment means that Italy need someone to look to. As the team’s captain Elisa Giordano should be that person.

The 35-year-old is not necessarily flashy. What she does do is offer a heartbeat and is a dab hand in the back-row, where her high work-rate has been allowed to shine since 2011.

What they said: “A good performance would be to continue to establish our identity and build on it with this group of players. We want to continue to evolve certain areas of our play and make our style of rugby competitive against the strongest teams in the Six Nations.” – Fabio Roselli, Italy head coach

RugbyPass prediction: 6th

Scotland

Scotland have a new head coach in Sione Fukofuka. The same captain in Rachel Malcolm. They also have a new coaching staff. It is hard to know exactly what is to come from the Women’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinalists.

They are without the indomitable Jade Konkel, whose Test career ended with a 40-8 defeat to England at Ashton Gate in late Summer. They are also without Lisa Cockburn, Caity Mattinson, Christine Belisile and Beth Blacklock who all played at last year’s tournament.

This changing of the guard suggests there are spots in the matchday 23 up for grabs. In Rhona Lloyd and Shona Campbell, Fukofuka has two of the top performing wings in PWR and has welcomed lock trio Hollie Cunningham, Louise McMillan and Emma Wassell back into the fold after they all missed the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Evie Gallagher, their star back-row, will be a major miss. No one did as much for Scotland at the Women’s Rugby World Cup than the 25-year-old.

Key player: Helen Nelson

With a new coach and new direction for Scotland coming under Sione Fukofuka, Helen Nelson’s stock may never have been higher.

One of the top playmakers in PWR for Loughborough Lightning, the 10-year veteran of the Scotland squad will be key in stitching Scotland’s forwards and backs together on the pitch.

If you need someone to do that seamlessly, as well as quickly, Nelson is the perfect person to turn to as a playmaking force.

What they said: “What we’re looking to do is implement our game style. We want to put our game model in place. We want to test it against some really good opposition and review it to make sure we’re heading in the right direction. Time will tell. But if we’ve put ourselves in a position to win games, there’s a level of success in that.” – Sione Fukofuka, Scotland head coach

RugbyPass prediction: 4th

Wales

Sixth in 2024. Sixth in 2025. This Guinness Women’s Six Nations is about so much more than stopping the slide for Wales. It is about proving that everything they put into action post-Women’s Rugby World Cup is working.

After their pool stager exit, capped with a loss to Fiji in Exeter, Sean Lynn and the Welsh Rugby Union stated a desire for their players to gain more game time. Ideally in the Celtic Challenge, rather than riding the bench or being a travelling reserve for PWR clubs.

Coming into this tournament Lynn’s 38-player squad has 25 players that have represented Brython Thunder and Gwalia Lightning. There is even a place for Thunder boss, Ashley Beck, as interim attack coach.

Last year Lynn arrived in his Wales role and got precious little time to get his feet under the desk. Now he is a year into the job, his players are more match ready and prepared to improve their fortunes.

Key player: Kate Williams

Kate Williams’ introduction of Wales captain tells you the entire direction that Sean Lynn wants to take his team. He wants his team to work hard and he wants constancy.

During his time with Premiership Women’s Rugby three-peat champions Gloucester Hartpury, Lynn could always rely on Williams for those things. Now he wants her to lead by example on the world stage.

What they said: “If we’re looking at success here, we’ve got to be looking at our consistency, consistency of performances, making sure that we’ve got the consistency in that set piece and in defence, everybody knows their processes, but also our attack. I want us being brave. I want us to be excited about the way we’re going to attack, and then if results come, then brilliant.” – Sean Lynn, Wales head coach

RugbyPass prediction: 5th