Meg Jones and Aoife Wafer Compete for Women's Six Nations Player of the Tournament

Meg Jones and Aoife Wafer Compete for Women's Six Nations Player of the Tournament

England captain Meg Jones and Ireland's Aoife Wafer have made the shortlist for the Women's Six Nations Player of the Tournament. Jones, promoted to skipper due to Zoe Stratford's pregnancy, showcased her skills by playing every minute of England's title defense, scoring three tries throughout the campaign. Wafer, the standout back row for Ireland, scored five tries and led all forwards in the tournament with the most meters gained. The 23-year-old aims to reclaim the title after winning it in the 2025 edition of the competition. Joining Jones and Wafer on the shortlist are France's Pauline Bourdon Sansus and Italy's Francesca Sgorbini. The winner will be determined by an online fan vote, which closes at 09:00 BST on Thursday, 28 May. In addition to individual accolades, the Women's Six Nations has seen remarkable growth this year. The tournament recorded an impressive 279,750 fans attending matches across five of the six participating countries, surpassing the previous record of 188,128 set in 2024. Television viewership also reached new heights, with 5.87 million viewers globally tuning into the final round of matches, the highest for a single round in the tournament's history. Notably, BBC One reported 1.6 million viewers for the Grand Slam decider between England and France, marking a record audience share of 17.9% for a Women's Six Nations game in the UK. On the pitch, the tournament witnessed a record total of 147 tries, averaging 9.8 tries per game, highlighting the growing excitement and competitiveness in women's rugby.

Source: BBC Sport - 2026-05-22