Wales' imperfect 10 as Six Nations misery complete
Played 10, lost 10. That is the dismal record of Wales' two national sides in the 2025 Six Nations in the space of 86 difficult days. From the 43-0 Friday night Paris mauling dished out by France to Wales' men's side in January, to the 44-12 hammering inflicted by Italy's women in late April, it has been a miserable and tumultuous three months.If Welsh rugby's new performance director Dave Reddin needed a reminder of the monumental task he is taking on, he would have just had to watch events unfold in Parma on Sunday.The manner in which Wales women miserably collapsed against Italy in the second-half of the Six Nations finale demonstrated how much Reddin has to do to lift Wales from almost rock bottom.
Sean Lynn's side became the first Welsh women's team to lose all five matches in a Six Nations tournament.The men have managed that dubious accolade in successive years with Wales propping up the Six Nations table in 2024 and 2025.There has only been one win in the 20 matches played in the four tournaments over the last 16 months - Wales women sneaking a victory against Italy at the Principality Stadium in April 2024, a triumph celebrated as if the hosts had won the World Cup. Reddin used phrases like "low ebb" to describe Welsh rugby in his opening press conference last week. He was not wrong. Now the former FA and Team GB performance expert has the unenviable task of transforming Wales' sorry national sides, with at least 11 more fixtures on the calendar in 2025.His new Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) employers has overseen a couple of years of misery. Reddin is the man they have chosen to sort out their mess.
The unwanted history boys
Reddin does not officially start his role on a full-time basis until 1 September but he will lead the immediate task in finding a new permanent men's head coach to replace Warren Gatland, who departed after February's Six Nations defeat to Italy in Rome.Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt took over in a caretaker capacity and oversaw three further defeats. Sherratt could be asked to take Wales to Japan in July if the new coach is not in place in time.Whenever the successful candidate begins, they will be starting from the bottom. This Wales team have become the unwanted history boys with 17 successive international defeats, the most for a tier-one nation in the professional era and equalling Scotland's losing streak between 1951 and 1955.Their most recent Test victory came in October 2023 when they beat Georgia at the World Cup in Nantes.The latest loss was the record 68-14 defeat to England in Cardiff in March. The defeat ensured it was the first time Wales have lost every game in two successive tournaments and picked up the Wooden Spoon, with 11 successive Six Nations losses now to their name.Wales have slipped below Georgia in the world rankings to 12th - only one place above Eddie Jones' Japan side who they face this summer.In November, Wales will host Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa at the Principality Stadium.
Wales men's results and fixtures in 2025
2025 Six NationsFriday, 31 January, France 43-0 Wales, ParisSaturday, 8 February, Italy 22-15 Wales, RomeSaturday, 22 February, Wales 18-27 Ireland, CardiffSaturday, 8 March, Scotland 35-29 Wales, EdinburghSaturday, 15 March, Wales 14-68 England, CardiffRemaining fixturesSaturday, 5 July, Japan v Wales, Kitakyushu (TBC)Saturday, 12 July, Japan v Wales, Kobe (TBC)Sunday, 9 November, Wales v Argentina, Cardiff (15:10 GMT)Saturday, 15 November, Wales v Japan, Cardiff (17:40 GMT)Saturday, 22 November, Wales v New Zealand, Cardiff (15:10 GMT)Saturday, 29 November, Wales v South Africa, Cardiff (15:10 GMT)
Wales women emulate the men
Despite last year's wooden spoon, Wales entered the 2025 tournament with an air of optimism as the WRU had secured the services of Sean Lynn as new women's head coach.This is a man who had only lost six league games in three title-winning seasons with Gloucester-Hartpury.But even his winning mentality and commitment to creating a "family" culture could not lift Wales from the depths of despair.Despite an encouraging start in a narrow defeat against Scotland, Lynn watched his side being outclassed and outmuscled in their remaining four fixtures.Most worryingly was the scale of the scorelines against Ireland and Italy, two teams Wales had thrashed just two years ago.Lynn was clear that things need to change, including some of the players who he said were not skilful enough to play at international level.He has a matter of weeks to transform the side for this summer's two Test tour of Australia in July and more importantly the World Cup.The global tournament is being held in England in August and September with Wales facing Scotland, Canada and Fiji in the group stages and hoping to make the quarter-finals.That may well not be enough time given how poor Wales have been in the past two months.It maybe fans have to wait until the 2029 tournament to see the fruits of Lynn's labour.
Wales women's results and fixtures in 2025
Six Nations 2025Saturday, 22 March, Scotland 24-21 Wales, EdinburghSaturday, 29 March, Wales 12-67 England, CardiffSaturday, 12 April, France 42-12 Wales, BriveSunday, 20 April, Wales 14-40 Ireland, NewportSunday, 27 April, Italy 44-12 Wales, ParmaRemaining fixturesSaturday, 26 July, Australia v Wales, SE Queensland (TBC)Friday, 1 August, Australia v Wales, Sydney (TBC)Saturday, 23 August, Wales v Scotland, Salford (14:45 BST)Saturday, 30 August, Wales v Canada, Salford (12:00 BST)Saturday, 6 September, Wales v Fiji, Exeter (14:45 BST)
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