England beat France to win eighth successive women’s Six Nations rugby title
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England's fullback Ellie Kildunne is tackled by France's scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus as she runs with the ball during the Women's Six Nations international rugby union match at the Stade Atlantique in Bordeaux on May 17, 2026.
PHOTO: AFP
BORDEAUX, France – All-conquering England recovered from a shaky start to beat France 43-28 in their Grand Slam decider on May 17, to secure a remarkable eighth successive Women’s Six Nations rugby title and further underline their total dominance of the sport.
Fired-up France led 7-0 after 20 minutes but two tries for Ellie Kildunne and one each for Sarah Bern and Jess Breach had the world champions 26-7 ahead at half-time.
A try for Anais Grando and a second for Pauline Bourdon Sansus closed the gap to eight points with 20 minutes remaining, only for England to send Breach in for her second, and they capped off yet another impressive win with a try by Amy Cokayne before a late consolation for Rose Bernadou.
England topped the standings with five bonus-point wins, while France finished second for the seventh year in a row. REUTERS
