2023 Women's Six Nations Championship

The 2023 Women's Six Nations Championship, known as the TikTok Women's Six Nations for marketing purposes, was the 22nd series of the Women's Six Nations Championship, an annual women's rugby union competition between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It began on 25 March and concluded on 29 April 2023.

England entered the tournament as defending champions, having completed a Grand Slam in 2022 and retained their title with a 38–33 victory over France in the final game.

Participants

Squads

Table

Table ranking rules

* Four points are awarded for a win.
* Two points are awarded for a draw.
* A bonus point is awarded to a team that scores four or more tries, or loses by seven points or fewer.
* Three bonus points are awarded to a team that wins all five of their matches (a Grand Slam). This ensures that a Grand Slam winning team would top the table with at least 23 points, as another team could lose one match while winning two bonus points and win the other four matches while winning four bonus points for a maximum of 22 points.
* Tiebreakers
** If two or more teams are tied on table points, the team with the better points difference (points scored against points conceded) is ranked higher.
** If the above tiebreaker fails to separate tied teams, the team that scores the higher number of total tries (including penalty tries) in their matches is ranked higher.
** If two or more teams remain tied after applying the above tiebreakers then those teams will be placed at equal rank; if the tournament has concluded and more than one team is placed first then the title will be shared between them.

Fixtures

Round 1

Player of the Match:

Sisilia Tuipulotu (Wales)

Assistant referees:

Doriane Domenjo ( France)

Maria Latos ( Germany)

Television match official:

Ian Tempest ( England)

Notes:
* Kate Williams (Wales), Natasja Behan, Méabh Deely, Sadhbh McGrath and Niamh O'Dowd (all Ireland) made their international debuts.
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Player of the Match:

Marlie Packer (England)

Assistant referees:

Precious Pazani ( Zimbabwe)

Adele Roberts ( Belgium)

Television match official:

Olly Hodges ( Ireland)

Notes:
* Kelsey Clifford, Liz Crake and Ella Wyrwas (all England), and Francesca McGhie and Beth Blacklock (both Scotland) made their international debuts.
* Mackenzie Carson made her debut for England, having previously earned three caps for Canada.
* This was the 141st and final test match for Sarah Hunter (England) who announced her retirement in the week before kick-off.
* By playing against England, Caity Mattinson became the first woman to play both for and against England and Scotland in an Anglo-Scottish match.
* No replacement was issued for Poppy Cleall when she came off in the 65th minute.
* This was England 20th consecutive Women's Six Nations win, surpassing the records of 19 wins they made between 2005 and 2009, and 2009 and 2013.
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Player of the Match:

Gabrielle Vernier (France)

Assistant referees:

Hollie Davidson ( Scotland)

Katherine Ritchie ( England)

Television match official:

Olly Hodges ( Ireland)

Notes:
* Audrey Forlani captained France for the first time.

Round 2

Player of the Match:

Pauline Bourdon (France)

Assistant referees:

Sara Cox ( England)

Maria Heitor ( Portugal)

Television match official:

Ben Whitehouse ( Wales)

Notes:
* Kathryn Buggy and Emma Swords (both Ireland) and Elisa Riffonneau (France) made their international debuts.
* Clara Nielson made her debut for Ireland, having previously earned one cap for England.
* Nicole Cronin was originally named on the bench for Ireland, but withdrew due to injury. She was replaced by Emma Swords.
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Player of the Match:

Sisilia Tuipulotu (Wales)

Assistant referees:

Beatrice Benvenuti ( Italy)

Mario Pacifico ( Italy)

Television match official:

Leo Colgan ( Ireland)

Notes:
* Keira Bevan (Wales) earned her 50th test cap.
* Lleucu George was originally named on the bench for Wales, but withdrew due to injury. She was replaced by Robyn Wilkins.
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Player of the Match:

Sarah Bern (England)

Assistant referees:

Doirane Domenjo ( France)

Mary Pringle ( Scotland)

Television match official:

Andrew McMenemy ( Scotland)

Notes:
* Delaney Burns and Emily Robinson (both England) made their international debuts.

Round 3

Player of the Match:

Tatyana Heard (England)

Assistant referees:

Beatrice Benvenuti ( Italy)

Maria Pacifico ( Italy)

Television match official:

Olly Hodges ( Ireland)
Notes:
* * Bryonie King (Wales) and May Campbell (England) made their international debuts.
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Player of the Match:

Alyssa D'Incà (Italy)

Assistant referees:

Maria Latos (German)

Mary Pringle ( Scotland)

Television match official:

Ian Tempest ( England)

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Player of the Match:

Mélissande Llorens (France)

Assistant referees:

Clara Munarini ( Italy)

Katherine Ritchie ( England)

Television match official:

Leo Colgan ( Ireland)

Notes:
* No replacement was issued for Emma Orr when she came off in the 77th minute.

Round 4

Player of the Match:

Sarah Beckett (England)

Assistant referees:

Beatrice Benvenuti ( Italy)

Maria Pacifico ( Italy)

Television match official:

Andre McMenemy ( Scotland)

Notes:
* By playing against England, Jo Brown became the first woman to play both for and against England and Ireland in an Anglo-Irish match.
* Nicole Cronin was originally named on the bench for Ireland, but withdrew due to injury. She was replaced by Ailsa Hughes.
* England secured their 23rd Triple Crown, having won it all times previously since 2016.
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Player of the Match:

Jade Konkel-Roberts (Scotland)

Assistant referees:

Joy Neville ( Ireland)

Adele Roberts ( Belgium)

Television match official:

Ian Tempest ( England)

Notes:
* Lisa Thomson (Scotland) earned her 50th test cap.
* This was Scotland's first Women's Six Nations victory since defeating Wales 27–20 in 2021. It is also the first victory over Italy since defeating them 14–12 in the 2017 tournament.
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Player of the Match:

Gaëlle Hermet (France)

Assistant referees:

Katherine Ritchie ( England)

Mary Pringle ( Scotland)

Television match official:

Matteo Liperini ( Italy)

Notes:
* Abbey Constable (Wales) made her international debut.
* The attendance of 18,604 was a new Women's Six Nations record, surpassing the 15,683 spectators in attendance for the England v Ireland match the previous year.

Round 5

Player of the Match:

Sadia Kabeya (England)

Assistant referees:

Lauren Jenner ( New Zealand)

Maria Heitor ( Portugal)

Television match official:

Ben Whitehouse ( Wales)

Notes:
* This was the 78th and final test match for Jessy Trémoulière (France) who announced her retirement before the beginning of the tournament.
* This was the 86th and final game for Simon Middleton as England head coach, who had been in charge since 2015.
* As a result of this match, England won their 19th Women's Six Nations title (their 5th in succession) and their 17th Grand Slam.
* This was England's first standalone fixture to be played at Twickenham.
* The attendance of 58,498 set a new world record for the highest attendance at a women's rugby union match, surpassing the attendance of 42,579 at the World Cup final the previous year.
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Player of the Match:

Alex Callender (Wales)

Assistant referees:

Aurélie Groizeleau ( France)

Mary Pringle ( Scotland)

Television match official:

Ben Blain ( Scotland)

Notes:
* Amelia Tutt (Wales) made her international debut.
* This was the final test match for Sara Barattin (Italy) and Caryl Thomas (Wales), respectively with 116 and 65 caps, who announced their retirements before the beginning of the tournament.
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Player of the Match:

Meryl Smith (Scotland)

Assistant referees:

Clara Munarini

Katherine Ritchie ( England)

Television match official:

Matteo Liperini ( Italy)

Notes:
* Ireland's defeat meant that they claimed the wooden spoon for the first time since 2004. As this was their fifth successive defeat and as the men had won the Grand Slam the same year, this was the first year in which one senior team for the same country won all five games and the other lost all five games.

Statistics

Top points scorers

Top try scorers

Broadcast

Notes

References

Women's Six Nations Championship
Women's rugby union
Six Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
Women's Six Nations
2022–23 in Irish rugby union
2022–23 in English rugby union
2022–23 in Welsh rugby union
2022–23 in Scottish rugby union
2022–23 in French rugby union
2022–23 in Italian rugby union
2022–23 in European women's rugby union
2023 in English women's sport
2023 in French women's sport
2023 in Italian women's sport
2023 in Irish women's sport
2023 in Scottish women's sport
2023 in Welsh women's sport
Women

{{Women's Six Nations Championship