England begin the 2026 Women’s Six Nations as the clear team to beat, and once again the scale of their depth is central to that status. Even with a long list of absences, the world champions remain overwhelming favourites for another grand slam.
The Red Roses will be without at least eight Rugby World Cup winners for the tournament because of injury, pregnancy and retirement. For most teams, losing that many established players would seriously disrupt preparations and alter expectations. For England, it is simply another test of the strength of a system that has repeatedly produced top-level talent.
One of the clearest signs of that depth is how quickly England can replace high-profile names with equally accomplished players. Abby Dow’s retirement is a major loss, but Claudia Moloney-MacDonald is available as a ready-made option. In the same way, captain Zoe Stratford’s pregnancy does not leave the side rudderless; Meg Jones, who has been nominated for World Rugby player of the year, is ready to take over the leadership role.
This ability to absorb setbacks without losing momentum has helped England dominate the women’s game in recent years. The squad has developed what can look like a conveyor belt of elite players, with new names consistently stepping in whenever vacancies appear. That depth gives them an advantage that few, if any, of their rivals can match.
The article’s central question is not whether England have been weakened, but whether anyone can stop them. At present, the answer still appears to be no. Their pool of talent remains so extensive that even a squad missing multiple Rugby World Cup winners still looks stronger than the rest of the field.
England’s edge has not come from talent alone. Their move to full-time contracts before any other nation helped create the conditions for sustained success, giving them a professional structure that has supported player development and performance over time. Combined with the flow of new talent into the squad, it has made England the benchmark in the Women’s Six Nations and beyond.
For their opponents, the challenge is as much about closing the gap in depth as it is about matching England on the field. A disrupted squad might weaken other contenders, but England’s system has been built to withstand exactly that kind of disruption. That is why, despite the absences, they still start the tournament as strong favourites.
As the 2026 competition gets underway, the familiar pattern remains in place: England arrive with a reshaped but formidable group, and the rest of the Six Nations must try to find a way past a side that keeps producing world-class players almost without pause.
