The 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations is primed to resume its role as a leading momentum driver in the women’s game, when fixtures get underway on the April 11th. This year’s edition of the Championship will visit bigger stadiums, set new ticket sales and attendance records, and guarantees global visibility for the sport through major broadcast and commercial partnerships that are putting fans at the heart of the sport.
To celebrate the start of this year’s Championship, the Captains and Head Coaches from all six national teams met in London to introduce the upcoming tournament, highlight its role as a catalyst for the growth of women’s rugby, and reflect on the surge in interest and engagement with the sport.
Hosted at the new Guinness Open Gate Brewery London in Covent Garden, the Captains were given centre stage for the day, meeting with international media, creators, fans and peers from across women’s sport. The focus: raise the profile of women’s rugby for the benefit of the whole game and set the tone for the upcoming five rounds of elite international women’s rugby.
The athletes are the stars of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, inspiring fellow players and fans alike. For fans, fixtures at bigger national stadiums and comprehensive coverage of the Championship ensures there are more routes to engage with the Championship, with guaranteed global visibility for the sport. For players looking to emulate the feats of the elite stars, they have never had a clearer pathway towards the elite game, with stronger foundations in place to fuel the next generation of players.
This year the U21 Women’s Six Nations Series will make its debut; an evolution of the U20 Women’s Summer Series, intended to strengthen the development pathway for young players looking to graduate into the elite game. A month-long tournament running in tandem with the Guinness Women’s Six Nations means all six U21 teams will get to experience the rhythm of an international tournament. Starting in round two of the Women’s Championship, each host city will stage an U21 fixture as well as the elite counterpart, meaning fans can see the stars of the future, as well as the icons of women’s rugby across two fixtures that weekend.
The momentum the Guinness Women’s Six Nations is driving is translating into the foundations of the sport, the stadiums that will be filled with more fans, and audience numbers across platforms and channels. And commenting on the upcoming Championship and new development opportunities for players, Julie Paterson, Chief of Rugby, at Six Nations Rugby, said:
“The Guinness Women’s Six Nations is the linchpin in the annual women’s rugby calendar, driving momentum throughout the game on the global stage. The Six Nations guarantees global visibility for the women’s game, its athletes, and teams, which means more fans are tuning in and connecting with the Championship.
This momentum is being felt through the foundations of the sport, where we have created exciting new and stronger pathways, like the U21 tournament, to give the next generation of players vital experience, a clear line of sight to graduate into the elite game, and to fuel the teams for the future.
The women’s game is still very young, and that brings a huge opportunity to be responsibly disruptive; to innovate, make bold decisions, and try new things to encourage its evolution, but always remaining authentic and genuine This year the Championship moves further into its own standalone window within the rugby calendar, to challenge the game to stand on its own merits and have its moment in the spotlight. We are already seeing huge appetite to attend fixtures, and with major broadcast coverage of every fixture, the support of partners to enhance the experience for fans, there is a genuine sense that this year’s Championship will build on this momentum and take the game on another level.”
With thanks to 6 Nations Rugby
