Women's Six Nations: Who can match Grand Slam champions England?

Lauren McCann, BBC Sport NI

Ireland appear to be on an upward trajectory under new manager Scott Beamand after a much-improved season and wins over Wales and Scotland.

The 2013 and 2015 champions capped off a memorable campaign with victory over Scotland in Belfast. This moved them from 5th to 3rd place in the final table, qualifying them for WXV1 and the World Cup.

In August 2022, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) announced that it would be offering 43 female professional contracts of “up to €30,000 plus match fees and bonuses” to players in 15s and 7s.

However, eight Irish players turned down the contract due to the requirement that they play rugby in Ireland, and only 10 15-a-side players signed contracts.

This means that the majority of the Irish national team are playing to a lower standard in the new Celtic Challenge and Interpro provinces compared to players who have turned down contracts to play in Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR). means.

Ireland's development should also be supported by the appointment of David Humphries as the IRFU's new Performance Director, replacing David Nucifora at the end of the season.

WXV1 promotion brings new challenges and higher level opponents, but should help the team continue to develop and grow their game.

The 88-10 defeat at Twickenham shows Ireland still have a long way to go, but thanks to young players like Aoife Wafer and Katie Corrigan, who have shown real promise this season, Ireland There is hope that we can meet this challenge.

Andy Burke, BBC Sport Scotland

Despite the disappointment of losing to Ireland on the final day and missing out on a third-place finish, Scotland are moving in the right direction.

The first win on Welsh soil in 20 years, the first win in Italy in 25 years and the defeat of the French team, ranked third in the world, was a step forward following last year's win in South Africa in the WXV2 campaign. It means.

But England's 46-0 defeat was largely a reflection of reality, given Scotland's position compared to the world's best teams.

It's been less than 18 months since Scotland's women's national team received their first professional contract from the union, so it's unrealistic to expect them to bridge the gap with world football's powerhouses in that time.

Funding for women's rugby will continue, but Scottish Rugby posted a loss of £10.5m in its last accounts and the next accounts could paint an even gloomier picture, with women's rugby in the spotlight. It remains to be seen whether they will benefit from something that should be done. Increase your budget for the foreseeable future.

The introduction of Glasgow and Edinburgh women's teams into the Celtic Challenge is a welcome step forward, opening the door to a level of competition for promising young talent that did not previously exist.

Her goal is to punch above her body weight, but she has a long way to go before she can challenge the true elite of women's competition.

Ceri Coleman-Phillips, BBC Sport Wales

Despite enduring a WXV1 whitewash in the autumn, Wales were confident of closing the gap on England and France this campaign.

They currently have 32 professional contract players and a large contingent of Gloucester-Hartpury players in their squad.

I'm sure it will hit home. But the result afterwards – four defeats before a dramatic win over Italy – was a somber reminder of the gap that still exists between Wales and the world's top teams.

Head coach Ioan Cunningham said the problem runs much deeper than the pitch and the long-term solution is to develop Wales' talent in competitive domestic competitions, rather than relying on PWR competitions in England. He said he would have a league.

One proposed solution is for Wales to enter their own team in the PWR, with captain Hannah Jones supporting this.

Celtic Challenge brought in new talent such as Gwennan Hopkins and Katherine Richards.

Wales could be encouraged by the resurgence of international passing, with former Wales captain Siwan Lilirup coaching them and the Under-18s and Under-20s teams enjoying impressive results.

There will also be £3 million in funding from the British and Irish Lions, which will help us acquire more coaches and resources.

Going back to 2018, France They were the last team other than England to win the Six Nations, and Saturday's 21-point loss to their rivals showed they are widening the gap at the top of the table.

Before the game in Bordeaux, France had lost three of their previous four Championship meetings with the Red Roses by just one goal.

If it was a one-off, there might not be much to worry about, but the fact that they have lost 13 of their last 13 games against England points to a similar trend.

Unlike other countries, France still have the upper hand at age group level and once again defeated England Under-20s 74-0 this month.

Starting next season, the French domestic league will change from two pools of 12 teams to one pool of 10 teams, which will likely improve competitiveness.

Developing talent will remain a top priority for the coming years and a win against England is needed to avoid developing mental blocks against their rivals.

Ahead of the 2023 Six Nations, Italy It was announced that 22 professional contracts have been awarded to players.

Since then, they have only won twice against Ireland. However, despite conceding only 10 goals in the first half against England, there were positive developments in the campaign, with a win away to Ireland.

The majority of the team plays club rugby at home, with four players playing PWR.

Center Beatrice Rigoni and forward Sarah Tunesi remain at Sale Sharks, versatile forward Sylvia Thulani plays for Harlequins and prop Sarah Sayet moves to Ealing Trailfinders.

This has helped raise the professional standards of national teams and the same will lead to further improvements.