England secure record eighth consecutive Women's Six Nations title
A record crowd of 35,062 at Stade Atlantique witnesses England’s fifth straight Grand Slam as they withstand a late French surge to clinch the tournament.
England have cemented their dominance in women’s rugby union by defeating France 43-28 in Bordeaux, securing their eighth consecutive Women's Six Nations title. The victory marks the Red Roses' fifth straight Grand Slam and extends their Test winning streak to 38 matches, surpassing their previous record of seven consecutive titles set between 2006 and 2012.
The match, played at Stade Atlantique, set a new attendance record for a home Women's Six Nations game, with 35,062 spectators present. This figure significantly exceeds the previous mark of 28,000 recorded at this fixture in 2024, underscoring the tournament's growing profile and the heightened attention it has attracted.
England established control early, taking a 26-7 lead into halftime through tries from Sarah Bern, Ellie Kildunne, and Jess Breach, supported by Zoe Harrison’s accurate kicking. Harrison continued her precision in the second half, adding a penalty to extend England’s advantage to 29-7 shortly after the restart. Captain Meg Jones, who stepped into the role at the start of the year with Zoe Stratford sitting out the tournament due to pregnancy, led a squad that demonstrated significant depth despite missing several frontline stars from the Rugby World Cup-winning team.
France mounted a spirited comeback, reducing the deficit to eight points with tries from Anais Grando and Pauline Bourdon Sansus. The hosts, who had grown formidably over the final six weeks of the tournament, showed visible emotion, with number eight Lea Campon shedding tears during the national anthem. However, England quelled the momentum with a well-worked try from Breach and the sin-binning of France’s replacement scrum-half Alexandra Chambon for a high tackle.
Amy Cokayne sealed the victory with a try in the 76th minute, celebrating by throwing the ball into the stands. The result confirms England’s superior performance in a contest that provided a high-quality conclusion to the tournament, even if it lacked the specific drama of the men’s Six Nations finale between the two nations two months prior.
