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Tumbling records, rising stars, and lasting memories: the 2023 Women’s Six Nations

By Claire Thomas
England v France – TikTok Women’s Six Nations – Twickenham Stadium

That’s it, then. The 2023 Women’s Six Nations. Done. Fin. End scene. A wrap.

Numerically? Mega. The fans engaged, shared, discussed, adored, attended, purchased, cheered, oohed, aahed, and were hooked in their droves. The media captured, platformed, debated, scrutinised, and amplified it like never before. The players prepared, emerged, fronted up, hustled, hit, sweated, bled, roared, celebrated, signed, selfied, trailblazed, and shone at the heart of it all. More of everything, and better than ever. Women’s rugby is on a trajectory so steep you’d crook your neck if you stared at it for too long – not that you’d mind.

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Narratively? A work in progress. The trophy was only ever going to be lifted by one of two nations, and I’d have bet a good sum of money on the winner of ten of the 15 fixtures. That’s not enough jeopardy, by any means. Many of us were on tenterhooks for Scotland against Wales and Italy, and towards the end of Le Crunch, but that’s probably it – whereas what you really want from a tournament is to be on the edge of your seat more often than not: as precariously perched as Alex Callender’s nearly entirely pointless scrunchies – engrossed in a battle as unpredictable as Beatrice Rigoni in space.

Following Brian Easson’s Scots was compelling, mind – as was watching a fresh-faced, Holly Aitchison-orchestrated Red Roses take shape, and relishing the way Wales navigated that infamously difficult second professionalised album.

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Athletically? Barnstorming. We saw some scintillating rugby, including – but in no way limited to – the following. Chloe Rollie running lines which wouldn’t look out of place on a devilishly tricky Mario Kart course.

Mélissande Llorens announcing herself as one of the hottest young talents in the game. Fran McGhie standing up, stepping five people, and shouting “me too!” Gaëlle Hermet playing with a mesmeric combination of class and fury at every opportunity. Hannah Botterman’s turnover celebrations. Enough said. Hannah Jones, Tatyana Heard, and Gabrielle Vernier proving that there are at least three different ways to be a world class inside centre. Romane Ménager playing just 143 minutes, but – bang for your buck – perhaps proving the most influential player of the tournament. Sarah Bern conjuring up moments so good that all you could do was shriek in real time at her virtuosity, and then chortle at the replays. Abby Dow generating the sort of power and velocity that only a qualified engineer (aka Abby Dow) could actually comprehend, and Sisilia Tuipulotu proving that anything can be tackled or flattened, if you really put your mind to it. An abundance of riches.

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Emotionally? A rollercoaster. The stall was set out with Sarah Hunter’s retirement: goosebumps nothing to do with the crisp Northern air at a packed-out Kingston Park. It didn’t let up as a tearful Nichola Fryday spoke with striking composure after Ireland’s thumping by a 14-woman France. We all felt Wales’ turmoil in Cardiff, as all of that momentum thudded into the immovable object that is England, and even the buzz of a sun-drenched record crowd couldn’t soften the blow of that stark reminder of ‘the gap’. Just a few hours later, the scenes were of ecstasy, as Alyssa D’Inca was mobbed in Parma: the prodigious, scything, winger at the heart of a crucial victory. The bizarre realisation in Round Four that the team who had scored nothing were happier than those who’d notched 48 – as the Red Rose misfired against a courageous Ireland. The ugly tears, Kim Kardashian-style, as Scotland fought tooth and nail for their first win in thirteen matches. The flutters of anticipation as, the next day, France put out an opening forty which suggested that we’d have a grand slam decider for the ages. The little sort of advent calendar we had throughout, building towards Twickenham. Only, rather than the date creeping up, it was ticket sales – cruising past last year’s tallies, brushing aside pre-tournament rumours, decimating the world record, and smashing through all expectations so loudly you could hardly hear the Sugababes.

It really was a Super Saturday – wall-to-wall with wonder women. The scenes at HQ. The ferocity of the Roses. The arrival, albeit 40 minutes late, of a French side who had come to properly jouez jouez. A trophy lift before overflowing stands: a giddying peek through the curtains of time towards 2025…

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Wales then nailed a statement win to make it back-to-back bronzes, with some of their brightest stars crossing the whitewash, before Scotland made sure they hadn’t just snapped a losing streak, but started a winning one – and their scorers couldn’t have been much more poetic, either. Workhorses Lana Skeldon and Leah Bartlett, perennial winner of ‘Six Nations skipper I’d run through brick walls for’ Rachel Malcolm, the sensational Rollie and equally mercurial Meryl Smith, and ballerina-turned-scimitar McGhie. Premier 15s sides will be falling over themselves to snap up those last two: they’re serious talents.
This brings me nicely onto what’s next. If you liked what you saw, and are despondently taking down the purple bunting in your living room whilst contemplating a lengthy spell without women’s rugby –do not fret. The Premier 15s – where the very best in England, Wales, and Scotland ply their trade (along with a smattering of Irish, French, and Italian powerhouses) – resumes next weekend, and is brilliant. It’s just like the Six Nations – but with more teams, more jeopardy, and an offloading, scrummaging torpedo we call Hope Rogers. Next Sunday, you can catch two games live on BBC channels: Saracens versus Exeter, and Loughborough Lightning versus Gloucester-Hartpury. Both will be excellent, so mark your cards.

This was the Six Nations which started with a purple ball pit, and which ended with a toy dinosaur in a trophy. Along the way, Ireland proved that heart and talent alone aren’t enough at this level, Wales that those – plus support and funding – can transform a national team, and England that there’s an abundance of roses blooming – even as one of the greatest of them all steps aside. This might have been the last dance of Sarah Hunter – and of Sara Barattin and Jessy Trémoulière – but there’s so much more to come from this tournament, on and off the pitch. As Simon Middleton said on Saturday – ‘this has to be the benchmark.’ Onwards and upwards, then – the only way women’s rugby seems to know right now.

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Jon 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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T
Trevor 9 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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