The Captains and Coaches from all Six Nations unions gathered on Wednesday 3rd July, at the historic Teatro Regio in the centre of Parma to mark the start of the inaugural Six Nations Women’s Summer Series, which gets underway on the 4th July.
Hosted at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, the first-of-its-kind tournament will feature three match days, involving women’s rugby teams from each of the Six Nations unions.
Unveiled in May 2024, the Women’s Summer Series is the latest addition to Six Nations Rugby’s development pathway for women. This series aims to bridge the gap between U18 international age-grade rugby and elite women’s rugby, providing young players with additional opportunities to develop and learn.
The series is designed to provide female athletes with a clear line of sight to become senior international rugby players. Predominantly aimed at Under-20 players, each union is allowed to select up to three Under-23 players per matchday squad. The Women’s Summer Series also offers a route for those who may have entered the game later or missed the Under-18 Festival entry point, creating a new platform to advance their game.
The Women’s Summer Series provides a valuable opportunity for coaches and match officials from each of the Six Nations to gain crucial exposure to the international stage too. This experience serves as a key development tool, strengthening the pipeline of skilled international match officials and coaching staff across the game. By participating in the series, they can refine their skills, learn from the high-level competitive environment, and contribute to the game wide growth of women’s rugby.
Commenting on the Women’s Summer Series, Six Nations Chief of Rugby, Julie Paterson said:
“This is a new and exciting development opportunity for young players, coaches, and officials to gain experience on the international stage. As a key strategic pillar of Six Nations Rugby, its unions and federations, the intention is to nurture the growth of the women’s game in a sustainable and engaging way for the players. The addition of the Women’s Summer Series, as a new step on the development pathway, is also part of the commitment to give these athletes a clear line of sight on when, where and how they can gain international experience and honours.
“The Italian Federation, through the leadership of Marzio Innocenti, has once again shown their unwavering support for our development competitions, having hosted the Six Nations Men’s U20 Summer Series last year and the U18 Six Nations Festival in 2024. With the help of the Italian federation, the players, coaches, match officials and visiting unions are sure to enjoy an incredible experience in Parma over the coming days.”
The Six Nations Women’s Summer Series joins an incredible summer of sport and stands to showcase the future stars of the international women’s game. Round One kicks off on Thursday 4th July, with France taking on Wales, before England face Ireland, and then Italy host Scotland in the late kick-off. The remaining Women’s Summer Series fixtures will take place on the 9th and 14th of July, with games kicking off in early morning, early evening, and then an evening game, on each match day.
To celebrate the debut of soon to be stars of the women’s game, the Six Nations Women’s Summer Series will introduce a new award; the Women’s Six Nations Most Valuable Player Award (MVP), which will go to one player from each team.
Following the conclusion of the series, a shortlist of three nominees from each team will be determined by a combination of statistics and input from our Women’s Summer Series match commentator. A peer vote will then take place within each team to decide the ultimate winner per union, ahead of a public announcement.
Fans all over the world will be able to follow all the action, via exclusive coverage on the Six Nations Rugby YouTube channel, with commentary in English and Italian for the Italy matches. Supporting coverage will also be provided across dedicated Under-20 Six Nations social media channels.
Tickets to all three match days will be free of charge so come, support and watch the women’s rugby stars of tomorrow, on the main stage today.
The Captains and Coaches from all Six Nations unions gathered on Wednesday 3rd July, at the historic Teatro Regio in the centre of Parma to mark the start of the inaugural Six Nations Women’s Summer Series, which gets underway on the 4th July.
Hosted at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, the first-of-its-kind tournament will feature three match days, involving women’s rugby teams from each of the Six Nations unions.
Unveiled in May 2024, the Women’s Summer Series is the latest addition to Six Nations Rugby’s development pathway for women. This series aims to bridge the gap between U18 international age-grade rugby and elite women’s rugby, providing young players with additional opportunities to develop and learn.
The series is designed to provide female athletes with a clear line of sight to become senior international rugby players. Predominantly aimed at Under-20 players, each union is allowed to select up to three Under-23 players per matchday squad. The Women’s Summer Series also offers a route for those who may have entered the game later or missed the Under-18 Festival entry point, creating a new platform to advance their game.
The Women’s Summer Series provides a valuable opportunity for coaches and match officials from each of the Six Nations to gain crucial exposure to the international stage too. This experience serves as a key development tool, strengthening the pipeline of skilled international match officials and coaching staff across the game. By participating in the series, they can refine their skills, learn from the high-level competitive environment, and contribute to the game wide growth of women’s rugby.
Commenting on the Women’s Summer Series, Six Nations Chief of Rugby, Julie Paterson said: “This is a new and exciting development opportunity for young players, coaches, and officials to gain experience on the international stage. As a key strategic pillar of Six Nations Rugby, its unions and federations, the intention is to nurture the growth of the women’s game in a sustainable and engaging way for the players. The addition of the Women’s Summer Series, as a new step on the development pathway, is also part of the commitment to give these athletes a clear line of sight on when, where and how they can gain international experience and honours.
“The Italian Federation, through the leadership of Marzio Innocenti, has once again shown their unwavering support for our development competitions, having hosted the Six Nations Men’s U20 Summer Series last year and the U18 Six Nations Festival in 2024. With the help of the Italian federation, the players, coaches, match officials and visiting unions are sure to enjoy an incredible experience in Parma over the coming days.”
The Six Nations Women’s Summer Series joins an incredible summer of sport and stands to showcase the future stars of the international women’s game. Round One kicks off on Thursday 4th July, with France taking on Wales, before England face Ireland, and then Italy host Scotland in the late kick-off. The remaining Women’s Summer Series fixtures will take place on the 9th and 14th of July, with games kicking off in early morning, early evening, and then an evening game, on each match day.
To celebrate the debut of soon to be stars of the women’s game, the Six Nations Women’s Summer Series will introduce a new award; the Women’s Six Nations Most Valuable Player Award (MVP), which will go to one player from each team.
Following the conclusion of the series, a shortlist of three nominees from each team will be determined by a combination of statistics and input from our Women’s Summer Series match commentator. A peer vote will then take place within each team to decide the ultimate winner per union, ahead of a public announcement.
Fans all over the world will be able to follow all the action, via exclusive coverage on the Six Nations Rugby YouTube channel, with commentary in English and Italian for the Italy matches. Supporting coverage will also be provided across dedicated Under-20 Six Nations social media channels.
Tickets to all three match days will be free of charge so come, support and watch the women’s rugby stars of tomorrow, on the main stage today.
With thanks to W6N
