On the 13th June 1982, the Netherlands and France took part in the first-ever women's international test match. Whilst the Netherlands lost at home, France became the first-ever lineal world title holders, a title they will fight to regain this Sunday against England in the final game of the 2026 Women's Six Nations.

On the 13th June 1982, the Netherlands and France took part in the first ever women's international test match. Whilst the Netherlands lost at home, France became the first-ever lineal world title holders, a title they will fight to regain this Sunday against England in the final game of the 2026 Women's Six Nations.

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The Utrecht Shield: https://www.raeburnandutrechtshields.com/

Dainty Lady Ball Stickers: https://www.redbubble.com/people/therugbyhistory/shop?artistUserName=therugbyhistory&asc=u&collections=4509990&iaCode=all-departments&sortOrder=top%20selling

Following their 2014 Rugby World Cup win, the Red Roses recorded their worst-ever result in the Six Nations. This is the tale of how the World discovered the Red Roses were not perennials.I blooming love the Women's Six Nations, and this is the second of three posts I hope to do this season. If you would like to check out the others, you can find them on my channel. They all contain significantly fewer flower puns.

A written version of this post is also available on my website https://therugbyhistoryproject.com/, which is where you can find all my references and footnotes.

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Founded in 1996 as the Women’s Home Nations Championship, the tournament has grown significantly over the last thirty years. This is the tale of the seven nations that have made up the Six Nations.

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How a counter-culture movement and a landmark civil rights case created the first World Cup winners.In the Autumn of 1972, two groups of Colorado university students unwittingly started a movement. Providing queer and straight women a safe space to play a full-contact sport, this was a direct response to a vulgar display of misogyny they had witnessed over a year previously and buoyed by a landmark civil rights case. This is the tale of the women who refused to go away.

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Just a few years after the first official Home Nations tournament, the then very small rugby world would be torn apart by one man and his house.

Check out more information at https://therugbyhistoryproject.com/"Arthur Gould- Rugby's First Superstar" is available here https://welsh-academic-press.shopfactory.com/contents/en-uk/p131.html

In February and March every year, the rugby world is gripped by five rounds of the highest level of men's European international rugby. The way in which the concept of the Six Nations has expanded and developed is fitting for a competition that didn't formally start as a competition. With the 2026 edition underway, this article looks at the weird world of the Men's Six Nations.I can only apologise to the nation of Romania for my butchery of their language.Check out more information at https://therugbyhistoryproject.com/

In 1936, Great Britain shocked the hockey world by taking gold at the Winter Olympics. Many myths surround this team; this Winter Olympics Special looks at the true story of how Great Britain "stole gold" from Canada.More information, including references etc, can be found here: https://therugbyhistoryproject.com/

After months of speculation, on the 24th October 2025, the Welsh Rugby Union announced that they would be cutting the number of men's professional teams from four to three. Let's look back at the last time the Welsh Rugby Union cut a region.

Links, references and images for this episode can be found on my website: ⁠⁠https://therugbyhistoryproject.com/⁠⁠.

If you asked most people to describe a ball, they would describe a round sphere. However, in the sport of rugby, we use a bizarre ellipsoidal ball. Lovingly referred to as an 'egg' or as 'egg-shaped' by many rugby union fans, the ball has become an icon of the sport. But how exactly did we end up with such a shape in the first place?

Links, references and images for this episode can be found on my website: ⁠https://therugbyhistoryproject.com/⁠.

On the 30th September 2024, Irish rugby fans woke up to the news that the Ireland had beaten New Zealand. Fans of the men's team rejoiced that the women's team had finally achieved the same feat the men had come to hold so dear. Imagine their shock when fans of women's rugby informed them that the women's team had not only beaten New Zealand before, but that they had made a Rugby World Cup bronze final too. This podcast episode explores the rise, fall and rise again of the Irish Women's National Rugby Team and the broad history of women's rugby in Ireland.

Links, references and images for this episode can be found on my website: https://therugbyhistoryproject.com/.

Note: I did realise after getting very far into the editing and upload process that I misspoke slightly and stated that France entered the Five Nations in 1997, it actually happened in 1999!