In the history of the six-team women’s Six Nations only once has a side other than England or France won the title, and that was back in 2013, when Ireland broke the duopoly.
England have won the past five tournaments but this year is their first Six Nations under new coach John Mitchell. The Red Roses, who are heavy favourites to lift the trophy, are hoping for a record-breaking crowd when they play Ireland at Twickenham in the fourth round.
Scroll down to read five things you should know about this year’s tournament. You can also read Sarah Bern’s verdict on every member of the England women’s squad, plus our team-by-team guide to the competition, including predictions.
When does the Women’s Six Nations 2024 start?
The opening fixtures are tomorrow. The tournament opens on Saturday with Scotland vs France (2.15pm) followed by England vs Wales (4.45pm). Then on Sunday Ireland face Italy (3pm).
How to watch the 2024 Women’s Six Nations on TV
Fixtures this year will continue to be shown on the BBC, which is the rights holder for the Women’s Six Nations. Every match of the tournament will be streamed live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online, with the vast majority also on BBC television. Details of which matches will be screened on television are yet to be announced.
2024 Women’s Six Nations fixtures
Round one
Sat, March 23: France v Ireland (2.15pm, Stade Marie-Marvingt)
Sat, March 23: Wales v Scotland (4.45pm, Cardiff Arms Park)
Sun, March 24: Italy v England (3pm, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi)
Round two
Sat, March 30: Scotland v France (2.15pm, Hive Stadium)
Sat, March 30: England v Wales (4.45pm, Ashton Gate)
Sun, March 31: Ireland v Italy (3pm, RDS Arena)
Round three
Sat, April 13: Scotland v England (2.15pm, Hive Stadium)
Sat, April 13: Ireland v Wales (4.45pm, Virgin Media Park)
Sun, April 14: France v Italy (12.30pm, Stade Jean Bouin)
Round four
Sat, April 20: England v Ireland (2.15pm, Twickenham)
Sat, April 20: Italy v Scotland (4.45pm, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi)
Sun, April 21: Wales v France (3.15pm, Cardiff Arms Park)
Round five
Sat, April 27: Wales v Italy (12.15pm, Principality Stadium)
Sat, April 27: Ireland v Scotland (2.30pm, Kingspan Stadium)
Sat, April 27: France v England (4.45pm, Stade Chaban-Delmas)
How do I get tickets for matches?
Tickets are still widely available. See the websites of each team for details. England tickets, for example, are available to purchase via EnglandRugby.com.
Why the table matters
The Women’s Six Nations has become synonymous with a lack of jeopardy in recent years because of the domination of England and France, but the final standings still carry some significance.
The best-placed team outside of England and France will qualify for next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup. Those two teams have already secured their place at the tournament, which will take place in England, after reaching the semi-finals at the 2022 World Cup and they will be favourites to finish in the top two of the championship table this year. That puts extra significance on finishing third – or perhaps even ending the duopoly at the top of the standings.
As well as that World Cup spot, the final standings in the table will dictate which tier of WXV – the global competition launched last year by World Rugby with the aim of increasing Test fixtures in the women’s game – teams compete in at the end of the year. That tournament will act as the next stage of World Cup qualifying so the higher up the table you finish, the simpler the route to England 2025.
Names on shirts
Like in the men’s championship, women’s players will have their names on the back of their match shirts. This is a first for Ireland, Scotland, France and Italy. Wales and England players had their names on shirts in matches last year, becoming the first home nations in the female game to do so.
