On Wednesday 11th September, the organisers of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations confirmed that the World Number 1 team, the England Red Roses, will kick-off their campaign in York on Sunday 23rd March 2025 against Italy.
This is the first time that York will be hosting a Six Nations match, and this is part of a build-up campaign by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to get the country excited for the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup, where York will be one of the host cities.
With the chance to see Yorkshire players such as powerhouse lock Morwenna Talling (raised in North Yorkshire) and fullback superstar Ellie Kildunne in action for the Red Roses, this will be the biggest sporting match York has hosted since the Women’s Rugby League World Cup semifinals in November 2022.
The match between the Red Roses and Le Azzurre will kick off at 15:00 on Sunday, 23rd March, and will be broadcast live on the BBC.
York Vision approached the City of York council, who own the LNER Community Stadium, for a comment. Councillor Lucy Steels-Walshaw, Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing at City of York Council, gave the following statement: “It is great that another international sporting event is coming to York.
“Sport has so many benefits to our physical and mental wellbeing and we have seen with the Rugby League World Cup and more recently the England men’s rugby training visit, the power that international sport can have in inspiring the next generation.
“My son has benefited hugely from playing rugby and being part of the rugby community in the city, and I think this is such an exciting moment for rugby in York.
“We look forward to welcoming the Red Roses and Italy to York next year, at the start of an exciting year that will see York’s fantastic LNER Stadium play host to Women’s Rugby World Cup fixtures.”
A representative from the RFU also gave Vision a comment, saying that: “We are delighted to be taking the Red Roses’ Guinness Women’s Six Nations game against Italy to the LNER Community Stadium. A number of the Red Roses squad hail from Yorkshire and are thrilled to be heading to York in March 2025. With the stadium also a host at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, we want to build on the appetite of women’s rugby in the region in what will be an exciting year for the sport in England.”