W6N: England v Ireland

It's been a long old wait since last year's Rugby World Cup, and what a way to kick off this Guinness Women's Six Nations.

Ireland's 2026 championship opener is about as hard as they come as they travel to London to take on the world champions, who are on a 34-game winning run in this competition.

On top of that, Saturday's game is going to be played before a record crowd at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

England hold the previous record, when just under 60,000 people flocked to Twickenham for their Grand Slam decider against France in 2023, but with more than 75,000 tickets already sold for this weekend's game, that record is going to be smashed.

Elsewhere on the opening weekend, France welcome Italy to Grenoble, while Wales take on Scotland at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

Follow a live blog of Ireland v England (2.25pm) on RTE.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app followed by report and reaction.

Listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport.

The game is live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, with coverage getting under way at 2pm.

France v Italy (Saturday, 12.25pm) is live on RTÉ Player, while Scotland v Italy (Saturday, 4.40pm) is live on Virgin Media Two.

It's forecast to be a rainy Saturday morning at Twickenham, although it's hoped those showers will clear by 2.25pm when the game kicks off.

Temperatures are expected to be around 12C.

Listen to the RTÉ Rugby podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts , and email us at sportpodcasts@rte.ie
It's 11 years since Ireland last beat England at this level, and it would be one of the greatest Six Nations shocks if Scott Bemand's side were to break that run this week.

Every time this England team play, the numbers just become more impressive.

You'd have to go back as far as 2018 for the last time the Red Roses lost a game in this competition, while they are on a 33-game winning run in all competitions dating back to their 2022 World Cup final defeat to New Zealand.

Ireland's starting team shows six changes from the side that were beaten by France in the World Cup quarter-final in September, with captain Erin King and second row Dorothy Wall the notable additions after they missed the World Cup due to injury.

Ellena Perry comes in at loosehead for Ireland, having won 11 caps for her native England between 2018 and 2020.

The Gloucester-Hartpury prop - who turns 29 on Sunday - switched allegiance to Ireland before the World Cup last year.

There's also a change at hooker, where Neve Jones drops to the bench to make way for Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald (below), who will earn her 50th Test cap.

In a remarkable coincidence, the Galway woman will be lining out against her wife Claudia for the first time in Test rugby, who starts on the left wing for England.

Emily Lane starts at scrum-half, while Vicky Elmes Kinlan starts on the wing, with Costigan missing this year's championship due to her pregnancy.

There are also two potential debuts on the bench, with Eilís Cahill and Katie Whelan primed for their first Test caps.

Tighthead prop Cahill is the reigning Women's All Ireland League Player of the Year after scoring 18 tries for UL Bohs last season, including the winning try in the final against Railway Union, while scrum-half Whelan has previously represented the Ireland Sevens team.

England head coach John Mitchell has shuffled his deck somewhat for the first game of this World Cup cycle, with just seven of his World Cup final starting team retained this week.

Hooker Amy Cokayne, lock Morwenna Talling, back rows Sadia Kabeya and Alex Matthews, centre Meg Jones, wing Jess Breach and full-back Ellie Kildunne are the seven World Cup final starters who go again, although six of the players coming in did feature off the bench in that final.

Loosehead prop Hannah Botterman (below) is a notable omission with an ankle injury, with the 26-year-old emerging as a doubt to feature in the championship, while Mitchell is already planning without Lark Atkin-Davies, Abbie Ward, Zoe Stratford and Rosie Galligan for the championship due to pregnancies.

England: Ellie Kildunne; Jess Breach, Meg Jones (capt), Helena Rowland, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald; Hollie Aitchison, Lucy Packer; Kelsey Clifford, Amy Cokayne, Sarah Bern, Morwenna Talling, Lilli Ives Campion; Maddie Feaunati, Sadia Kabeya, Alex Matthews.

Replacements: Connie Powell, Mackenzie Carson, Maud Muir, Haineala Lutui, Abi Burton, Natasha Hunt, Zoe Harrison, Emma Sing.

Ireland: Stacey Flood; Béibhinn Parsons, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Vicky Elmes Kinlan; Dannah O'Brien, Emily Lane; Ellena Perry, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Linda Djougang; Dorothy Wall, Fiona Tuite; Brittany Hogan, Erin King (capt), Aoife Wafer.

Replacements: Neve Jones, Niamh O’Dowd, Eilís Cahill, Ruth Campbell, Grace Moore, Katie Whelan, Nancy McGillivray, Anna McGann.

Referee: Aurelie Groizeleau (FFR) Assistant Referee 1: Clara Munarini (FIR) Assistant Referee 2: Amber Stamp-Dunstan (WRU) TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU) FPRO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
"All we’ve been focusing on really is getting our best version out there, getting our best game on the pitch.

And we believe our best game will cause problems."
Alex Mitchell (England head coach): "The players relish and absolutely deserve the opportunity to perform in front of record crowds, but they also understand the responsibility that comes with that stage.

"We know success in this competition is never given – it has to be earned every time.

The players are ready to express themselves fully.

We cannot wait to get started."
2025: Ireland 5-49 England, Musgrave Park, Cork
2024: England 88-10 Ireland, Twickenham
2023: Ireland 0-48 England, Musgrave Park, Cork
2022: England 69-0 Ireland, Welford Road, Leicester
2020: England 27-0 Ireland, Castle Park, Doncaster