BBC Sport research reveals boom in women’s sport fandom as Women’s Six Nations coverage is announced

New research commissioned by BBC Sport and carried out by YouGov reveals that 24 million people in the UK now identify as women’s sport fans – up from 18 million in 2021, a remarkable 33% increase in just five years.

Overall, women’s rugby union has seen a major uplift in support following the women’s Rugby World Cup, with fan numbers climbing from 7.94m for pre-claimed fandom amongst those interested in women's rugby, to 13.21m post-claimed fandom after the World Cup last summer, a 66% increase.

The research demonstrates the growing appetite for the women’s game as BBC Sport prepares to bring audiences comprehensive free to air coverage of this year’s Women’s Six Nations across TV, radio and online from 11 April, starting from 1.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

BBC TV and BBC iPlayer will show every single game from the tournament, supported by insightful punditry and storytelling from some of the most trusted voices in the game. New for 2026, England’s World Cup winning captain Zoe Stratford will join the BBC punditry team for the Women’s Six Nations bringing a wealth of experience and expertise.

The BBC Sport website and app will deliver live text coverage for every game, complete with clips, pundit reaction and analysis. Over on BBC Sport’s social media channels, there will be clips of standout moments from the matches and exclusive interviews with some of the competition’s star players.

Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport says: “Seeing a 66% increase amongst those now calling themselves fans of women’s rugby is extraordinary and shows just how quickly the women’s game is capturing the public imagination. Last year’s summer of women’s sport on the BBC proved what’s possible when the biggest moments are given the platform they deserve, with record audiences tuning in to watch history unfold.

However, the most important thing is to support women’s sport all year round. The Women’s Six Nations is one of the great tournaments in the sporting calendar and we’re proud to bring every match free-to-air so audiences can follow every try, tackle and triumph across our digital platforms, social channels, TV and radio”.

Ugo Monye, Sonja McLaughlan and Sarra Elgan will lead the TV coverage and will be joined by England World Cup winning captain Zoe Stratford and England World Cup Winners Katy Daley-McLean and Maggie Alphonsi. Completing the punditry team will be renowned rugby players Siwan Lillicrap (Wales), Jade Konkel (Scotland), Anna Caplice (Ireland) and Brian Moore.

Sara Orchard will be on commentary duties for all England games. Claire Thomas will commentate for Wales v Scotland and Iona Ballantyne and Jenny Drummond will be on hand to commentate for the Scotland and Wales clashes.

BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and BBC Sounds will have regular editions of the Rugby Union Weekly podcast throughout the Women’s Six Nations for listeners to enjoy.

BBC Wales will air Sarra Elgan's Women’s Six Nations 2026 Preview on 10 April and Scrum V The Warm Up will be available on Thursdays throughout the tournament to look ahead at upcoming fixtures and reflect back on the key moments so far. Rugby fans can also tune into the Scrum V podcast throughout.

ZB

How to watch Women’s Six Nations 2026 on BBC TV and iPlayer

11 April

France v Italy - BBC iPlayer

England v Ireland - BBC One, BBC iPlayer

Wales v Scotland - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer

18 April

Scotland v England - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer

Wales v France - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer

Ireland v Italy - BBC iPlayer

25 April

England v Wales - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer

Italy v Scotland - BBC iPlayer

France v Ireland - BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer

9 May

Italy v England - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer

Scotland v France - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer

Ireland v Wales - BBC One Wales, BBC iPlayer

17 May

Wales v Italy - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer

Ireland v Scotland - BBC iPlayer

France v England - BBC Two

Q&A with the Presenters

Which Women's Six Nations Championship fixture are you most excited for this year and why?

Sonja: Over 60,000 tickets have been sold for England’s opening fixture at the against Ireland, so the buzz generated by the Women’s Rugby World Cup clearly remains. I can’t wait to be back and experience the positive energy around the women’s game on the 11 April.

Ugo: England V Ireland at the Allianz stadium because it’s the first time we’ll see the world champions in action since lifting the World Cup trophy!

Sarra: It’s really difficult to pick one game I’m looking forward to because there are a few for different reasons. In round one for me it’s Wales v Scotland – two sides that know each other so well. Sean Lynn’s side, they’ll be desperate to improve on a disappointing World Cup campaign and will definitely want to avoid the wooden spoon that they ended up with last term. Sean would have had a bit longer with the girls, developing relationships and partnerships and it’ll be really interesting to see what that extra time with him will have done. Scotland, they’ve a new coach after years with Bryan Easson. Sione’s taken the reigns so it’ll be interesting to see his philosophy and what his Scotland will look like. And to cap it all off it’s being played in the Principality Stadium which will be bouncing no doubt!

The others I’m looking forward to: Ireland v France. Ireland will still be hurting after bowing out to them in the World Cup and they’ll be desperate to put that right as they (and a lot of us thought) they could have won that one with the lead they had at half time. Obviously, the final round where you’ve got France v England – what a game we had last Six Nations between these two so I’m expecting fireworks in Bordeaux.

Which player do you think will be the star of this year’s Six Nations?

Sonja: It’s hard to see past Red Rose, Ellie Kildunne, she’s the headline act for a reason. She is the primary attacking threat for England, a fan favourite and will be key to England taking the title for the 8th year in a row. Watch out too for Ireland’s powerhouse Aoife Wafer and the cornerstone of the French pack Teani Feleu.

Ugo: I would say Ellie Kildunne. She’s already a mega star and will undoubtedly show off her world class credentials again at the Six Nations.

Sarra: I have to say Aoife Wafer. I just love watching her play. She’s only 22 and she’s already a superstar but I think the sky is the limit for her really. If Ireland have a strong tournament, she’ll be at the heart of it and could emerge as one of the standout players again. So, she’s not really one to watch, she’s coming in as the defending best player in the competition. She’s already set the standards, and I just know she’s going to just want to keep pushing those standards.      

Since last year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup and the Red Roses’ historic win, what impact have you seen on the women’s game?

Sonja: The huge crowd flocking to Twickenham on the opening weekend is a powerful legacy of the World Cup. The Red Roses have done for rugby what the Lionesses did for football - putting women’s sport at the forefront. It’s also led to a pledge from 53 unions to increase participation within the women’s game. It’s key that the momentum is maintained and this Six Nations is another opportunity to showcase the women’s game.

Ugo:The biggest impact I’ve seen is in the broadcasting numbers. The growth and viewing figures of the PWR have been astronomical for some fixtures.

Sarra: What those girls, that team and the competition as a whole have done for the game in general has been phenomenal. There’s so many things we can talk about. We’re constantly drawing bigger crowds, matches being played in main stadiums but for me it’s the obvious increase in girls that are playing at grassroot levels. That’s the biggest long-term impact, that feeds then the next 10-15 years it feeds the next generation. There’s that saying that “You’ve got to see it to be it” and the World Cup, the Red Roses and all the players that played in that World Cup showed girls what is possible. They didn’t just create a moment, I feel like they’ve created massive momentum and that’s just huge.

What’s the one thing viewers at home should watch for if they want to understand the tactics of the tournament better?

Sonja: BBC Sport will have a raft of engaging and informative content running alongside coverage of the live matches. Keep an eye on the BBC Sport Website and social channels as well as the Rugby Union Weekly Podcast. You’ll find all the information and insight you need to help you follow this year’s championship. As far as tactics go, keep an ear out for former England fly-half Katy Daly McLean in commentary - her insight is always first class.

Ugo: The BBC Sport website is the place to be for behind-the-scenes content, the latest scores and expert analysis.

Sarra: Viewers should definitely watch if they want to understand the tournament better and know what’s going on. Visit the BBC Sport website, follow the live text coverage and go to the BBC Sport socials for clips and highlights. We’ll keep you fully informed and you won’t miss a thing!

Notes to Editors

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample sizes were 2076 and 2208 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12 - 13 August and 29 - 30 September 2025, respectively.

The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+). Results have used current population statistics provided by the ONS to extrapolate data up to scale.

Follow for more