Sporting theatre reached a high level at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, where Wales and Scotland produced the most dramatic match of the opening Women’s Six Nations weekend. It was a contest full of late tension, momentum shifts and memorable tries, ending with Scotland completing a comeback victory seven minutes after the full 80 minutes had elapsed.
The game was broadcast on BBC Two and provided the kind of finish that would normally be matched by a large, noisy crowd. Instead, the atmosphere was shaped by a more modest attendance than the occasion perhaps deserved. Wales hosted the match at the national stadium, the only fixture taking place there during this year’s tournament, and 10,569 supporters were in the stands.
That figure was still enough to set a record for a match between Wales and Scotland played in Wales, but the setting also underlined a recurring issue for women’s rugby: the spectacle on the pitch is often ahead of the size of the audience in the stadium. The Principality Stadium offered a grand stage, yet the crowd fell short of what might have been expected for such a thrilling encounter.
The location made the contrast even sharper. If the match had been staged next door at Cardiff Arms Park, with its official capacity of just over 12,000, or at Cardiff City Stadium, which can hold about 33,000 and is due to host Wales men against Fiji in July, the noise and intensity may have felt more fully connected to the action. As it was, the players delivered the drama, while the crowd size limited some of the impact that the match might otherwise have carried.
Even so, the opening weekend of the tournament showed encouraging signs in several places. Alongside the Cardiff thriller, England and Ireland drew a record crowd, reflecting the growing profile of the competition and the appeal of staging major fixtures at prominent venues. The tournament began with the favourites showing strength, while Wales and Scotland produced the most compelling contest of the first round.
For Wales, the disappointment came in the way the match slipped away after so much effort and excitement. For Scotland, the result was a statement win achieved under pressure, with the comeback completed at the end of a game that had already offered plenty of drama before the final twist.
The match will be remembered for its energy and late tension, and for the sense that the occasion merited an even larger audience. The Principality Stadium provided the scale and the setting, but the performance from both teams ensured the game itself stood out as the weekend’s highlight.
As the Women’s Six Nations moves on, the opening round has already offered a clear illustration of the tournament’s appeal: big venues, competitive fixtures and the capacity for a match to turn dramatically in the closing moments. Cardiff supplied the thriller, and the rest of the competition will be measured against it.
