England secured a record eighth consecutive Women’s Six Nations title and fifth successive Grand Slam by defeating host France 43-28 in Bordeaux on Sunday. Despite France entering the match unbeaten and backed by their largest ever home crowd, England’s victory further underlined their total dominance of the sport.
The match began with a shaky start for England, as France took a 7-0 lead after 20 minutes. However, the world champions surged back by halftime to lead 26-7, fueled by two tries from Ellie Kildunne and one each from Sarah Bern and Jess Breach. France attempted a comeback with a try from Anais Grando and two from Pauline Bourdon Sansus, closing the gap to eight points with 20 minutes remaining. England responded with a second try from Breach and a final score by Amy Cokayne, while Rose Bernadou scored a late consolation for France.
England's victory was enhanced by the accuracy of Zoe Harrison, who landed six of seven goalkicks and 29 of 31 in the tournament. With only six survivors from the Rugby World Cup champion team from last September, England extended their world record winning streak to 38 matches, having won 68 of 69 games since 2019.
England topped the standings with five bonus-point wins, leaving France in second place for the seventh consecutive year. While England's grip on the tournament remains tight, record crowds across the board this year have maintained the competition's appeal. The English team will not be challenged again until September, when they host No. 2-ranked New Zealand and No. 3 Canada in the WXV.