Rugby Europe Six Nations Women's Six Nations: Shotaro Onishi 'A Tournament Highlighted by England's Strength' - WOWOW to Exclusively Live Stream All 15 Matches!

April 9, 2026

WOWOW will exclusively live stream all 15 matches of the Women's Six Nations tournament from April 11th to May 18th. Former Japan international Ayaka Suzuki will make her debut as a commentator, and rugby analyst Shotaro Onishi shares his insights on the tournament, particularly highlighting England's dominant performance.

NQ 50/100出典：prnews

📋 Article Processing Timeline

📰 Published: April 9, 2026 at 22:00
🔍 Collected: April 9, 2026 at 13:30
🤖 AI Analyzed: April 18, 2026 at 14:56 (217h 25m after Collected)

WOWOW will deliver the 'European Six Nations Women's Six Nations' from Saturday, April 11th to Monday, May 18th, Japan time. All 15 matches will be exclusively live streamed on WOWOW On Demand. Two highly anticipated matches will be broadcast with Japanese commentary and analysis.

This will be the second time WOWOW has broadcast women's rugby, approximately three and a half years since the 'Rugby Japan Women's National Team Test Match 2022 New Zealand vs Japan'.

The 'Women's Six Nations' is a tournament, like the men's, where six European nations – England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, and Italy – compete to determine the strongest in Europe, and it is one of the highest-level international tournaments in women's rugby. England, ranked number one in the world, is aiming for their eighth consecutive championship, having achieved a Grand Slam (undefeated championship) for six consecutive years. On the other hand, France, which lost to England by only one point in their undefeated showdown in the final round of the previous 2025 tournament, is also a strong contender for the championship. This year, too, the 'France vs England' match is scheduled for the final round on Monday, May 18th. You won't want to miss these highly anticipated matches.

Additionally, Ayaka Suzuki, a former Japan national team player who was active as 'Sakura Sevens' in the 2016 Rio Olympics, where women's rugby sevens became an official event, has been confirmed for her first appearance. She will serve as a commentator for the first round match between 'England vs Ireland' on Saturday, April 11th.

It will be interesting to hear how she, having played for Wasps and having multiple championship experiences in England's top league 'Premiership', will talk about the current Women's Six Nations, which is often called an 'England-dominated' tournament.

Ayaka Suzuki, making her first appearance on WOWOW Rugby

Furthermore, we asked Shotaro Onishi, a former Japan national rugby player and familiar WOWOW rugby commentator, about the highlights of this tournament.

【Comment from Shotaro Onishi】

"It has been decided that WOWOW will broadcast the Women's Six Nations. First, there's the highly anticipated match between 'England vs Ireland' on Saturday, April 11th. Then, the intense battles will continue until the final round on Monday, May 18th, with 'France vs England'. The Women's Six Nations began in 1996 with four nations (England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales). Since then, it has grown to six nations, similar to the men's tournament, and has a history of approximately 30 years. England has been champions for seven consecutive years since 2019. And they also won last year's Women's Rugby World Cup, so it's a tournament where England's strength stands out. I think it can also be viewed from the perspective of what would happen if the Japan national team were to play against the European six nations in the World Cup or other competitions. And I believe we must win against these opponents!

We want to generate excitement for the Women's Six Nations in Japan. Please watch it on WOWOW!"