2008 Women's RBS 6 Nations Championship

The 2008 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Women's Six Nations Championship. England comfortably won a third successive Grand Slam—the first time this had been achieved in the Women's Six Nations. However, after a good start against Wales it was not quite as easily won as in the previous year, with Italy, Scotland and Ireland all scoring tries against the champions, something that only France managed in 2007.

While the England win was predictable it was Ireland that surprised many. Historically one of the weakest nations in the tournament, they only went down to narrow defeats to England, France, and Wales, while recording wins over both Italy and Scotland. The result was probably their best ever tournament performance.

The decline of Scottish women's rugby, on the other hand, continued. Though their performance against England showed hope for improvement, two successive defeats in two years to Ireland meant that Scotland ranked for the first time below the Irish, while defeat to Italy—the Italians' first ever Six Nations win—was the final blow in a disastrous campaign.

France—on paper the second best side in the event—were distinctly unimpressive, going down to their largest home defeat to England before losing to Wales for the second time in three years, the result being only third place. Wales, on the other hand, recovered from a English drubbing in the first game to finish in a well-deserved runners-up position.

Finally, the Italians surprised everyone with their Scottish win, following a campaign that had not appeared competitive in its first four games.

Womens Rugby Tournament

pixels = 50px
women = yes
datefrom = 2008-02-01
dateto = 2008-03-16
host =
nations = 6
champion = England
runnerup = Wales
matches = 15
top scorer =

Final table

Results

wrugbybox
test# = 654
date = 2008-02-01
nohome = ruw-rt|IRE
score = 19-0
noaway = ruw|ITA
stadium = St Mary's RFC, Dublin
code = 85/61/6

wrugbybox
test# = 655
date = 2008-02-02
nohome = ruw-rt|ENG
score = 55-0
noaway = ruw|WAL
stadium = London Irish
code = 133/112/24

wrugbybox
test# = 656
date = 2008-02-03
nohome = ruw-rt|SCO
score = 15-43
noaway = ruw|FRA
stadium = Meggetland
code = 107/122/14----wrugbybox
test# = 657
date = 2008-02-09
nohome = ruw-rt|ITA
score = 6-76
noaway = ruw|ENG
stadium = Rome
code = 62/134/6

wrugbybox
test# = 658
date = 2008-02-10
nohome = ruw-rt|WAL
score = 23-6
noaway = ruw|SCO
stadium = Taff's Well
code = 113/108/19

wrugbybox
test# = 659
date = 2008-02-10
nohome = ruw-rt|FRA
score = 26-17
noaway = ruw|IRE
stadium = Saint-Gratien
code = 123/86/14----wrugbybox
test# = 660
date = 2008-02-22
nohome = ruw-rt|IRE
score = 13-3
noaway = ruw|SCO
stadium = St Mary's RFC, Dublin
code = 87/109/16

wrugbybox
test# = 661
date = 2008-02-23
nohome = ruw-rt|FRA
score = 0-31
noaway = ruw|ENG
stadium = Bergerac, Agen
code = 124/135/23

wrugbybox
test# = 662
date = 2008-02-24
nohome = ruw-rt|WAL
score = 27-5
noaway = ruw|ITA
stadium = Taff's Well
code = 114/63/8----wrugbybox
test# = 663
date = 2008-03-07
nohome = ruw-rt|IRE
score = 10-19
noaway = ruw|WAL
stadium = St Mary's RFC, Dublin
code = 88/115/13

wrugbybox
test# = 664
date = 2008-03-08
nohome = ruw-rt|SCO
score = 5-34
noaway = ruw|ENG
stadium = Meggetland
code = 110/136/17

wrugbybox
test# = 665
date = 2008-03-08
nohome = ruw-rt|FRA
score = 35-6
noaway = ruw|ITA
stadium = Valence, Lyon
code = 125/64/8----wrugbybox
test# = 666
date = 2008-03-15
nohome = ruw-rt|ENG
score = 17-7
noaway = ruw|IRE
stadium = London Irish
code = 137/89/11

wrugbybox
test# = 667
date = 2008-03-15
nohome = ruw-rt|WAL
score = 3-0
noaway = ruw|FRA
stadium = Taff's Well
code = 116/126/12

wrugbybox
test# = 668
date = 2008-03-16
nohome = ruw-rt|ITA
score = 31-10
noaway = ruw|SCO
stadium = Mira
code = 65/111/6

Points scorers

34	Non Evans (Wal)
30	Claire Allan (Eng, 6 tries), Veronica Schiavon (Ita, 1).
27	Estelle Sartini (Fra, 3).
22	Alice Richardson (Eng).
21	Katy McLean (Eng).
20	Louise Rickard (Wal, 4), Celine Allainmat (Fra, 4), Katherine Merchant (Eng, 4).
15	Danielle Waterman (Eng, 3), Aurelie Bailon (Fra), Michaela Staniford (Eng, 3), Sarah Beale (Eng, 3).
14	Sarah Gill (Sco).
11	Grace Davitt (Ire).
10	Jane Leonard (Eng, 2), Caroline Ladagnous (Fra, 2), Amy Turner (Eng, 2), Charlotte Barras (Eng, 2), Delphine Plantet (Fra, 2), Jess Limbert (Ire, 2), Germaine Healy (Ire, 2), Catherine Spencer (Eng, 2), Tamara Taylor (Eng, 2), Flavia Severin (Ita, 2), Jilly McCord (Sco, 2).
7	Jooane O'Sullivan (Ire, 1).
5	Sarah Hunter (Eng, 1), Marie Charlotte Hebel (Fra, 1), Sinead Ryan (Ire, 1), Tanya Griffiths (Sco, 1), Mélanie Gauffinet (Fra, 1), Victoria Massarella (Eng, 1), Joanna Mc Gilchrist (Eng, 1), Margaret Alphonsi (Eng, 1), Sarahjane Belton (Ire, 1), Rachel Poolman (Wal, 1), Clare Flowers (Wal, 1), Giuliana Campanella (Ita, 1), Hayley Baxter (Wal, 1), Heather Lockhart (Sco, 1), Rochelle Clark (Eng, 1), Anaïs Lagougine (Fra, 1), Claire Canal (Fra, 1), Marie Barrett (Ire, 1), Yvonne Nolan (Ire, 1), Joy Neville (Ire, 1), Cara D'Silva (Sco, 1).
3	Michela Tondinelli (Ita), Niamh Briggs (Ire), Michaela Reed (Wal).

ee also

* [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tournoi_des_six_nations_f%C3%A9minin_2008 Tournoi des six nations 2008]
*Women's Six Nations Championship
*Women's international rugby

External links

* [http://www.rbs6nations.com/index_6nations.htm The official RBS Six Nations Site]