It may be possible to partially attribute 2026’s better performance to an increase in good press following the team’s victory at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Buzz scores, which measure whether consumers have heard anything positive or negative in the past two weeks, started at 2.9 for the 2026 Six Nations and rose four points to 6.9 by the end. It’sthe same ending score as the 2025 tournament (which saw scores rise from 5.3 to 6.9), but a greater rise.
There has also been some gradual improvement over the decade. In 2022, the final Recommend scores (which track whether consumers would recommend or avoid an event) were 1.4; for the 2026 event, these scores were 4.0 – almost triple the 2022 figures. Similarly, if we look at perceptions of the tournament’s staging (as measured by Value scores), we see measures of 6.5 by the end of the 2022 tournament, and 11.9 by the conclusion. Not dramatic upticks, but perhaps indicative of the improvement the contest has made in the public’s eyes over the past decade.
Looking at Index scores (which measure overall brand health), we can also see that the Women’s Six Nations scores 9.5, putting it 2.1 points clear of the average sporting events (7.4). If the success of the Lionesses has driven interest in women’s football, it may be worth asking if the ongoing success of the Red Roses will raise the profile of the Women’s Six Nations even higher in years to come.
This article originally appeared in City A.M.