England defence coach Sarah Hunter is brimming with anticipation as the world champion Red Roses prepare to make their return to competitive action in this year's Women's Six Nations championship. Over five months have elapsed since England last took to the field, securing the 2025 Rugby World Cup title with a commanding 33-13 victory over Canada at a sold-out Allianz Stadium in Twickenham.
Record Crowd Awaits Championship Opener
The Red Roses' Six Nations campaign is set to commence with a highly anticipated home clash against Ireland on April 11th. This match is poised to host a championship-record crowd at Twickenham, with over 60,000 tickets already sold, underscoring the surging popularity and reach of women's rugby on the global stage.
Hunter, who holds the record for England appearances with 141 caps, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "It's like getting the band back together. We had a camp in January which was about dusting the World Cup off so that when we come in at the end of March, we can really start attacking the Six Nations."
Navigating New Challenges and Familiar Rivalries
"There are new coaches and different players – retired players come and go, so we know there will be a bit of an unknown to it, but we're super excited," Hunter added. "We love the Six Nations and we just want to get to the game against Ireland and get off to a good start there, then hopefully go on to France and see what happens down there."
England enters the tournament as the overwhelming favourites, having secured six consecutive Grand Slams in the years the championship has been contested, with 2021 being the sole exception. Their campaign will include a fixture against Scotland at Murrayfield and culminate in a trip to Bordeaux on May 17th to face France.
France is expected to be England's primary challenger, having pushed the Red Roses hard in last year's World Cup semi-final, which England won 35-17. Hunter reflected on the upcoming away fixture, noting, "France away was always one of my favourite games to play in and it's very much like that as a coach. It's a hostile place to go, in a great way. The atmosphere is brilliant and hopefully we'll be going there to win the Six Nations."
Analysing the French Threat
She also highlighted the new coaching dynamic for France, led by Francois Ratier, who previously coached Canada in the 2014 World Cup final and has championship experience with Bordeaux-Begles. "He's a very experienced coach, so they'll be unknown in some respects of how they play," Hunter observed. "We'll know a bit more about them by the time we get there, but it'll be a great opportunity to go and challenge ourselves against one of the best teams in the world."
Championing Grassroots Sport Development
Hunter's comments were made during the 2026 Youth Sport Awards, an event that celebrates the innovative and dedicated efforts of schools, trusts, and individuals who utilise sport to positively impact children's health and wellbeing.
Emphasising the critical importance of grassroots sport, Hunter stated, "It's massively important to reward the grassroots level of sport. It's recognition for all the hard work that they've done through the year, but for most of these teachers and sports co-ordinators it's not just this year, it's over multiple years that they've embedded sport into their community."
She further underscored the foundational role of grassroots initiatives, adding, "Without grassroots sport – and I'm speaking now as an international coach – we don't have a game, we don't have that pipeline for our future sport stars, whether that be rugby, football or athletics. Having started rugby at school, I know how important it is to reward and recognise the hard work that quite often goes unseen."
The Youth Sport Trust Annual Conference Awards, sponsored by Sports Directory and Outdoor Play and Learning, honour those who have made significant, impactful changes to young people's lives through sport. The tournament that propelled players like Ellie Kildunne, Zoe Aldcroft, and Sadia Kabeya to household name status will soon see them back in action, as fans eagerly await the Red Roses' pursuit of further glory in the Six Nations.
