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This year’s women’s Six Nations rugby tournament has seen record crowds, with more than 30,000 fans heading to Murrayfield last weekend to see Scotland face England. However, the game ended in a crushing defeat for the home side, with the reigning world champions running in 12 tries on their way to an emphatic 84-7 victory.
England’s women are currently on a 35-game winning streak – the longest in rugby history. It’s been accompanied by growing public interest in the sport – they opened the tournament at home to Ireland, in front of a crowd of more than 77,000. But can any other team in the tournament hope to match them, and is their dominance good for the future of the game?
BBC rugby reporter Sara Orchard talks to More than the Score’s Ade Adedoyin about how English rugby built the foundations for the women’s team’s success over a number of years, including through the structure of the domestic club competition – and why other countries have struggled to keep pace with their evolution. She also discusses how the sport has capitalised on the popularity of individual athletes, like Ilona Maher and Ellie Kildunne, to grow the game.
We’re also joined by former Scotland captain Lisa Martin, who reflects on how Scottish women’s rugby has grown since the start of her playing career – but also gives an insight into why it’s still a struggle for female players to make a living from the sport. She also reveals what it’s like to line up against a side as formidable as the Red Roses.
Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From Formula One to netball, MMA to figure skating, and Grand Slam tennis to Diamond League athletics. We’ve got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Tour de France winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Uruguay’s history-making marathon runner Julia Paternain, trailblazing Samoan athlete Alex Rose and cricket superstar Smriti Mandhana, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from football super-agents to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we’ve got the expertise of the BBC’s top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels.
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