Scotland Edges Wales in Thrilling Womens Six Nations Opener at Principality Stadium

Sporting theatre reached extraordinary heights at the Principality Stadium on Saturday as Wales and Scotland served up the finest match of the opening Womens Six Nations weekend. In the end, Welsh hearts were broken seven minutes past the full 80 as Scotland managed to snatch a comeback victory at the death.

The fixture delivered everything a rugby fan could wish for: sensational tries, late drama, and a finish that had the crowd of 10,569 supporters on their feet. That attendance figure set a new record for any fixture between these two teams held in Wales, though the consensus among observers was that the occasion deserved an even larger crowd.

Wales hosted the match at their national stadium as part of the Welsh Rugby Unions commitment to growing the womens game, with a pledge to play at least one game per season at the venue. The Principality is certainly a stage this team deserves, and the hope now is that bigger attendances will follow in future rounds.

Waless performance was perhaps their best since head coach Sean Lynn took charge just before the previous Six Nations, and a marked improvement on their disappointing showing at last years World Cup. They remained in contention throughout, clawing their way back from 24-12 down to within five points deep in the second half. As the clock ticked into stoppage time, Wales were pressing desperately from their own try line, hunting the win that would have marked their first Six Nations victory since a 22-20 triumph over Italy in 2024. A fumbled lineout in the dying moments ultimately dashed those hopes, though some argued Wales should have been awarded a penalty for what appeared to be a deliberate knock-on at the set piece.

For Scotland, the result marked a first win for new head coach Sione Fukofuka since his appointment in December. Fly-half Helen Nelson, named player of the match, acknowledged the tension of the closing stages. "It was a little bit tight at the end, we got our defensive play in finally," she said. "Its always tight against Wales but Im just proud that we put in that full performance and managed to get the win."

The result was also a boost for France, who now sit atop the table on points difference after an impressive second-half display against Italy in Grenoble. François Ratiers side travel to Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday as favourites, with two of the three stands already sold out.

Elsewhere in round one, England set a Womens Six Nations attendance record with 77,120 fans packing Twickenham for their 33-12 victory over Ireland. The Red Roses now head to Murrayfield for another blockbuster against Scotland, with a crowd expected to surpass 25,000.