The Red Roses coach, John Mitchell, has announced the 32-player squad that will represent England at this year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup. The tournament will be held on English soil.
Zoe Aldcroft will lead the team as captain, a selection that combines experience and youth, with 18 forwards and 14 backs.
Aldcroft prepares for his third World Cup, while Emily Scarratt gets ready for her fifth tournament appearance.
In their first World Cup will be Abi Burton, May Campbell, Mackenzie Carson, Kelsey Clifford, Maddie Feaunati, Lilli Ives Campion, Jade Shekells and Emma Sing.
England will play against Spain and France in the pre-tournament phase.
Mitchell’s team has a total of 1,374 international matches among all its players.
It’s a unique and exciting opportunity for this group to represent the Red Roses at a home World Cup.
Mitchell added that choosing the team is never easy, but that an exhaustive two-year process has been carried out to find the perfect combination of skills, mentality and connection. “We believe this is a team capable of winning the World Cup,” he stated.The Red Roses will seek to win the World Cup for the first time since 2014, when they lifted the title in France. England reached the final in the 2022 edition, losing in a close match against New Zealand in Auckland.
Mitchell took office in 2023 and has guided the team to success, achieving two consecutive Grand Slams in the Six Nations. England has not lost a match since the last World Cup final.
England will debut in the tournament against the United States at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on August 22.
England Squad:
Forwards: Hannah Botterman, Mackenzie Carson, Sarah Bern, Maud Muir, Kelsey Clifford, Lark Atkin-Davies, Amy Cokayne, May Campbell, Zoe Aldcroft (captain), Abbie Ward, Rosie Galligan, Morwenna Talling, Lilli Ives Campion, Alex Matthews, Sadia Kabeya, Maddie Feaunati, Marlie Packer, Abi Burton.Backs: Lucy Packer, Natasha Hunt, Zoe Harrison, Helena Rowland, Holly Aitchison, Emily Scarratt, Jade Shekells, Tatyana Heard, Meg Jones, Abby Dow, Ellie Kildunne, Jess Breach, Emma Sing, Claudia MacDonald.
