Cardiff Thriller Caps Dramatic Opening Weekend of Women's Six Nations

The Women's Six Nations opened with a statement weekend that showcased the rapid growth of the women's game, none more so than a breathless encounter at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.

Wales and Scotland served up what many are already calling the match of the tournament — a contest that ebbed and flowed with sensational tries, late drama, and a finish that broke Welsh hearts. Scotland completed a hard-fought comeback seven minutes into stoppage time to deny Wales a first Six Nations victory since their narrow win over Italy in 2024. The 10,569 spectators present witnessed a record crowd for any fixture between the two nations on Welsh soil, though the widely shared sentiment was that even that number fell short of what the spectacle deserved.

Wales came within inches of a famous result, pushing hard from their own try line in the closing moments as the clock ticked firmly into the red. A fumbled lineout in the final seconds ended their hopes, though questions lingered over whether a deliberate knock-on at the set piece should have resulted in a penalty.

Head coach Sean Lynn was proud of the character his side showed throughout. The fight and the character that those girls showed at the end, to be playing phase after phase from their own try line, is what we've been going after, he said. The improvement from the World Cup to where we are now is clear. I was super proud of them all.

Scotland's victory was a first for their head coach Sione Fukofuka, appointed in December. Fly-half Helen Nelson, named player of the match, credited the squad's preparation. It's always tight against Wales but I'm just proud that we put in that full performance and managed to get the win. Twelve days together — we're just focusing on us.

Elsewhere in round one, England set a new Women's Six Nations attendance record as 77,120 supporters packed Twickenham for their 33-12 victory over Ireland. The Red Roses remain favorites but face a significant test on Saturday when they travel to Murrayfield to face Scotland in front of an expected crowd exceeding 25,000.

France currently sit atop the table on points difference after an impressive second-half performance against Italy in Grenoble. They travel to Cardiff on Saturday for a match against Wales at the Arms Park, where two of three stands are already sold out.