World cup finalist Alex Matthews says the Women’s Six Nations is a chance to lift ‘English rugby gloom’.
As it kicks off, the women’s tournament ‘will be a raising of spirits after our men’s team flopped’ says flanker Matthews.
‘I’ve moved on from the WC, moving to Gloucester helped and all our chat in the England squad is now about how we can grow the gap to other nations’. Matthews is eyeing England v Wales as her comeback from injury and she praises England colleague Abbie Ward, also injured, as a potential forwards coach; ‘Abbie is a natural leader and not merely shadowing pack sessions. She is very knowledgeable and would do a good job in future’.
It comes as there are varying thoughts about how a women’s Lions should progress. ‘It would be amazing, but I’m 29 and I’m not sure it will be a reality in my career, though I am committing to the next WC in 2025’.
Former WC winner Nollie Waterman says ‘It is great they are talking, but let’s not run before we can walk. There is already the new WXV in 2023 and Barbarians and there is a danger Lions will overload players’.
Scotland’s captain Rachel Malcolm says; ‘The Lions would be a brilliant incentive but infrastructure needs to be in place and it is important we don’t throw the historic importance and heritage of the 6 Nations we already have’.
Wales’s Hannah Jones says; ‘it will be exciting if women’s Lions come together’.
Ireland’s Nichola Fryday says; ‘There would be huge interest and support’.
