England
Coach John Mitchell Captain Zoe Aldcroft
England may have a new captain but they are expected to have the same result in this tournament with five wins from five to seal a seventh consecutive Women’s Six Nations trophy. This competition will be pertinent for the Red Roses to find their winning combinations and potentially a bolter or two for the Rugby World Cup squad later this year. Gloucester’s Emma Sing, the top Premiership Women’s Rugby point scorer for the 2024/25 season, is one such star who could break back into the team. England’s head coach, John Mitchell, said it would be “stupid” not to try different things in his match-day squads. “A lot of the combinations that you see in the Six Nations will be as a result of the end [Rugby World Cup] in mind,” he said. “Will players get opportunities? Yes. It’s exciting because there is always room for a new player to create enthusiasm.”
Key player Alex Matthews. The headlines gravitate towards Ellie Kildunne and Abby Dow but Matthews is a player who consistently has 9/10 performances and does all of the hard graft in the back row.
Prospects Fans who aren’t English will be pleading with any nation to take the Red Roses’ crown but inevitably they will win it again.
France
Coach Gaëlle Mignot & David Ortiz. Captain Manaé Feleu
France are known for their flair; a joie de vivre that leaves fans on the edge of their seat. But quality hs been missing from this French team of late. In the autumn they lost to Canada and New Zealand to finish fifth in WXV 1. They will be seeking more consistency in performance and results in this tournament but they will have to do so without a former captain. Flanker Gaëlle Hermet has been left out of the squad as the French camp look at other back row options. Two key players will also miss out initially because of injury but could feature later on in the tournament: No 8 Romane Ménager, who was one of the stars of the 2024 competition, is on a slow return from a concussion, while the prop Assia Khalfaoui is recovering from a knee issue.
Key player Gabrielle Vernier. Defensively a brick wall and in an attacking sense the centre is light on her feet and able to punch a hole in the gainline.
Prospects Bridesmaids again; second beckons for the sixth year in a row.
Ireland
Coach Scott Bemand. Captain Edel McMahon
Ireland are the team to watch this Six Nations as they have more than proved they are capable of an upset or two. They produced one of the most famous rugby shocks in WXV 1 when they defeated world champions New Zealand. Some had feared big losses for Ireland in the autumn tournament but they proved all of their naysayers wrong. Not only did they edge out the Black Ferns but they also defeated the USA to finish second in the table with only England above them. It underpinned their third-place finish in the 2024 Six Nations and they are a team in flight which makes their opener against a shaky France in the 2025 competition interesting. Second row Sam Monaghan remains out with an ACL injury but the head coach Scott Bemand said she should be OK for the upcoming Rugby World Cup.
Key player Aoife Wafer. The breakout star in 2024 and expected to set pitches alight once again, unstoppable blindside flanker with so much potential left to explore.
Prospects Their game against Scotland will determine which mid-table place they take but most likely will end up third.
Italy
Coach Fabio Roselli. Captain Elisa Giordano
Since the heights of their second-place finish in 2019, Italy have slowly regressed in the Six Nations. They are able to stay in the fight for the majority of matches but tend to let the result escape them in the closing minutes. The man charged with producing 80-minute performances is their new head coach, Fabio Roselli, who is coaching in women’s rugby for the first time. He said: “Italian rugby has grown so much and we have a lot of potential to improve. We are focused on the process, on the hard work, on the play and our style. First up we have the best team in the world [in England], it will be a big challenge for us but we are so excited.”
Key player Beatrice Rigoni. An unpredictable player, who is one of the best centres in the world, and has been honing her skills in the PWR this season.
after newsletter promotion
Prospects Fifth place will be where they end up but they’ll cause headaches.
Scotland
Coach Bryan Easson. Captain Rachel Malcolm
Fran McGhie’s speed on the wing, centre Emma Orr’s breaks and Jade Konkel’s set-piece skill from No 8 are all examples of why Scotland should have had higher finishes in Six Nations past. But they have not finished higher than fourth since 2005. However, the team are making slow progress in their performances and narrowly lost out to Australia for the WXV 2 trophy. “I think this is the most exciting time [for me in charge of Scotland],” the head coach, Bryan Easson, said. “That is credit to the work they are putting in. It’s really exciting because we have depth. We aren’t selecting on rotation, it’s selecting on how you perform and that challenges everybody.” If they start as well as they usually finish these tournaments, they will be more than capable of climbing the table.
Key player Fran McGhie. Arguably the fastest player in the tournament and a superb and skilful finisher. A player of the championship in the making.
Prospects After a mid-table scrap, fourth.
Wales
Coach Sean Lynn. Captain Hannah Jones
Wales have had a torrid time on and off the pitch over the last year. A wooden spoon at the 2024 Six Nations, only one victory in WXV 2 and a contracts row which brought more controversy to Wales rugby. Former Gloucester-Hartpury coach Sean Lynn, who won the PWR title with Gloucester last Sunday, is now at the helm of the team and charged with turning the environment and results around. Lynn has said it is a huge “honour” to have the head coach role and has spoken about the culture he is already implementing: “I am working with people and characters and making sure I embrace the positives. Also I want to sit down and have honest conversations. I have done that already with the players and staff. It’s making sure we have this alignment straight from the start.”
Key player Alisha Joyce-Butchers. Misses the opener due to a virus but an absolute powerhouse at getting over the gainline and at scrum time but the flanker is also capable of finishing off stylish tries, see the dummy against Gloucester-Hartpury in January for evidence.
Prospects Sixth. A consecutive wooden spoon will be in Wales’ possession again but performances will improve.