England won a record-extending 16th women’s Six Nations title, with a game to spare, after they took an unassailable lead in the standings when France failed to beat Scotland on Sunday.
France needed to win their final two games to be in with a shout of winning their first title since 2018 but were held to a 13-13 draw after a late comeback from Scotland to give England a six-point lead.
The final round matches, involving all six teams, will be played on Nov. 1 and England will be seeking back-to-back Grand Slams when they face Italy.
“We are delighted to have retained the title after four big performances from the team to date,” England head coach Simon Middleton said in a statement.
“It’s a fitting reward for all the hard work put in earlier this year. We have a big week ahead and the aim is to stay focussed on securing the Grand Slam in Italy next weekend.”
England won their opening four games and last played Wales in a commanding 66-7 victory in March before the tournament was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.