Women's Six Nations Starts

There will be keen competition for the champoionship. England, the most successful country of the six nations, has not won for the last four years. France are the reigning champions and Ireland are increasingly strong. Wales would not spurprise if they won for the first time. Just recently they beat Ireland.

The weakest team would seem to be Scotland who are the only team not qualified for the 2017 Woemen's World Cup.

Winning the Six Nations would be a great fillup for the World Cup when opponents include NZ, Austrralia, the USA and Canada.

Scotland vs Ireland

Scotland, beaten by Spain and knocked out of the Woemen's World Cup, have work to do in re-establishing themselves as one of the world's top women sides in rugby. They meet Ireland

The referee for the match is Aimee Barrett-Theron, a former international threequarter. This is her first Six Nations match as a referee.

Teams

Scotland: 15 Chloe Rollie (Murrayfield Wanderers), 14 Megan Gaffney (Edinburgh University), 13 Lisa Thomson (Edinburgh University), 12 Lisa Martin CAPTAIN (Murrayfield Wanderers), 11 Rhona Lloyd (Edinburgh University), 10 Helen Nelson (Murrayfield Wanderers), 9 Sarah Law (Murrayfield Wanderers/Edinburgh University), 8 Jade Konkel (Hillhead Jordanhill), 7 Louise McMillan (Hillhead Jordanhill), 6 Karen Dunbar (RHC Cougars), 5 Deborah McCormack (Aylesford Bulls), 4 Emma Wassell (Murrayfield Wanderers), 3 Lindsey Smith (Hillhead Jordanhill), 2 Rachel Malcolm (Lichfield), 1 Tracy Balmer (Worcester)

Replacements: 16 Lucy Park (Murrayfield Wanderers), 17 Heather Lockhart (Hillhead Jordanhill), 18 Katie Dougan (Edinburgh University), 19 Sarah Bonar (Lichfield), 20 Jemma Forsyth (Hillhead Jordanhill), 21 Jenny Maxwell (Lichfield), 22 Lauren Harris (Melrose), 23 Eilidh Sinclair (Murrayfield Wanderers)

Coach: Shade Munro

Ireland: 15 Mairead Coyne (Galwegians), 14 Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians), 13 Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere), 12 Sene Naoupu (Aylesford Bulls), 11 Alison Miller (Old Belvedere), 10 Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere), 9 Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union), 8 Paula Fitzpatrick (St Mary's), (captain), 7 Claire Molloy (Bristol), 6 Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians), 5 Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere), 4 Orla Fitzsimons (St Mary's), 3 Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere), 2 Leah Lyons (Highfield), 1 Lindsay Peat (Railway Union)

Replacements: 16 Jennie Finlay (Old Belvedere), 17 Ilse van Staden (Cooker), 18 Ciara O'Connor (Galwegians), 19 Elaine Anthony (Highfield), 20 Nichola Fryday (Tullamore), 21 Mary Healy (Galwegians), 22 Claire McLaughlin (Cooker), 23 Eimear Considine (UL Bohemians)

Coaches: Tom Tierney. Declan O'Brien, Derek Dowling

Date: Friday 3 February 2017

Kick-off: 18.35

Venue: Broadwood Stadium, Cumbernauld

Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa)    

Assistant referees: Beatrice Benvenuti (Italy)    Graham Cooper (Australia)    

Television match official: Jon Mason (Wales)

Timekeeper: Rebecca Wheater (Scotland)

England vs France

And it's at Twickenham. When the men have finished their heated exchanges, it will be the women's trun to grace the famous ground.

It is Le Crunch all right – the present titleholders against the most frequent titleholders.

Two years ago the same two teams played there, and France won 21-15. Last year Franbce won again. In fact, despite being over the years the dominant woemen's team in Euope England have gob=ne five years without winning the Cchampionship. They will want to put that right.

They have the expoerience to do so. None of their players is a new cap. The oine with fewest caps is Zoe Aldcroft with two caps. Tamara Taylor, on the other hand, needs just two more caps to get to a hundred and Rochelle Clark has 117 caps. Cpatian Srah Hunter has 85 caps. The side has a total of 994 caps.

Teams

England: 15 Danielle Waterman (Bristol), 14 Lydia Thompson (Worcester Valkyries), 13 Emily Scarratt (Lichfield), 12 Amber Reed (Bristol), 11 Amy Wilson Hardy (Bristol), 10 Katy Mclean (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), 9 Natasha Hunt (Lichfield), 8 Sarah Hunter (Bristol), (captain), 7 Marlie Packer (Bristol), 6 Izzy Noel-Smith (Bristol), 5 Harriet Millar-Mills (Lichfield), 4 Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), 3 Laura Keates (Worcester Valkyries), 2 Amy Cokayne (Lichfield), 1 Rochelle Clark (Worcester Valkyries)

Replacements: 16 Vicky Fleetwood (Saracens), 17 Justine Lucas (Lichfield), 18 Sarah Bern (Bristol), 19 Zoe Aldcroft (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), 20 Poppy Cleall (Bristol), 21 La Toya Mason (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), 22 Emily Scott (Saracens), 23 Rachael Burford (Aylesford Bulls)

Coach: Simon Middleton

France: 15 Jessy Trémoulière (Romagnat) , 14 Elodie Guiglion , 13 Caroline Ladagnous (Bobigny), 12 Elodie Poublan (Montpellier), 11 Shannon Izar (Lille-Villeneuve d'Ascq), 10 Christelle Le Duff (Olympique Villelonguet), 9 Jade Le Pesq (Rennes), 8 Safi N’Diaye (Montpellier), 7 Marjorie Mayans (Blagnac-Saint Orens), 6 Marine Ménager (Lille-Villeneuve d'Ascq), 5 Audrey Forlani (Blagnac-Saint Orens), 4 Lénaïg Corson (Rennes), 3 Julie Duval (Ovalie Caennaise), 2 Gaëlle Mignot (captain) (Montpellier), 1 Lise Arricastre (Lons)

Replacements: 16 Caroline Thomas (Romagnat), 17 Arkya Aiït Lahbib (Rennes), 18 Céline Ferer (Bayonne), 19 Julie Annery (Bobigny), 20 Camille Cabalou (Bayonne), 21 Caroline Boujard (Montpellier), 22 Yanna Rivoalen (Lille-Villeneuve d'Ascq), 23 Patricia Carricaburu (Lons)

Coach: Annick Hayraud

Date: Saturday, 4 February 2017

Kick-off: After the end opf the men's Six Nationas match between England and France

Venue: Twickenham

England vs France at Twickenham

Referee: Amy Perrett (Australia)    

Assistant referees: Tim Baker (Hong Kong), Rachel Horton (Australia)    

Television match official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)

Italy vs Wales

It would be unwise to overlook Italy for its women are competitive and enthusiastic.

Teams

Italy: 15 Manuela Furlan (Aylesford Bulls), 14 Michela Sillari (Aylesford Bulls), 13 Mariagrazia Cioffi (Colorno), 12 Paola Zangirolami (Valsugana), 11 Sofia Stefan (Rennes), 10 Beatrice Rigoni (Valsugana), 9 Sara Barattin (Villorba) (captain), 8 Elisa Giordano (Valsugana), 7 Isabellla Locatelli (Asr Monza), 6 Lucia Cammarano (Asr Monza), 5 Alice Trevisan (Riviera Del Brenta), 4 Flavia Severin (Benetton Treviso), 3 Lucia Gai (Valsugana), 2 Melissa Bettoni (Rennes), 1 Elisa Cucchiella (Belve Neroverdi)

Replacements: 16 Marta Ferrari (Rennes), 17 Gaia Giacomoli (Colorno), 18 Michela Este (Benetton Treviso), 19 Elisa Pillotti (Parabiago), 20 Ilaria Arrighetti (Rennes), 21 Claudia Salvadego (Stade Francais), 22 Silvia Folli (Valsugana), 23 Maria Magatti (Asr Monza)

Coach: Andrea Di Giandomenico

Wales: 15 Dyddgu Hywel, 14 Elen Evans, 13 Kerin Lake, 12 Robyn Wilkins, 11 Adi Taviner, 9 Keira Bevan, 8 Shona Powell-Hughes, 7 Rachel Taylor, 6 Sioned Harries, 5 Mel Clay, 4 Rebecca Rowe, 3 Amy Evans, 2 Carys Phillips (captain), 10 Elinor Snowsill, 1 Caryl Thomas

Replacements: 16 Lowri Harries, 17 Cerys Hale, 18 Gwenllian Pyrs, 19 Siwan Lillicrap, 20 Alisha Butchers, 21 Sian Moore, 22 Gemma Rowland, 23 Jessica Kavanagh-Williams

Coaches: Rowland Phillips, Nick Wakley, Paul Young

Date:

Kick-off: 15.00

Venue: Stadio Comunale Pacifico, Jesi, Ancona

Referee: Rose Labrèche (Canada)    

Assistant referees: Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa), Local    

Television match official: Neil Patterson (Scotland)

Previous Winners of Women's Six Nations

1996: England, Grand Slam

1997: England, Grand Slam

1998: Scotland, Grand S;lam

1999: England, Grand Slam

2000: England, Grand Slam

2001: England, Grand Slam

2002: France, Grand Slam

2003: England, Grand Slam

2004: France, Grand Slam

2005: France, Grand Slam

2006: England, Grand Slam

2007: England, Grand Slam

2008: England, Grand Slam

2009: England

2010: England, Grand Slam

2011: England, Grand Slam

2012: England, Grand Slam

2013: Ireland, Grand Slam

2014: France, Grand Slam

2015: Ireland

2016: France