The Red Roses coach, John Mitchell, has revealed the list of 32 players who will represent England in this year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, which will be held on English soil.
Zoe Aldcroft will lead the team as captain, made up of 18 forwards and 14 backs, which stands out for its vast experience.
Aldcroft will participate in his third World Cup.
Emily Scarratt prepares for her fifth participation.
Abi Burton, May Campbell, Mackenzie Carson, Kelsey Clifford, Maddie Feaunati, Lilli Ives Campion, Jade Shekells and Emma Sing will experience their first World Cup.
Despite the incorporation of new talents, Mitchell’s team has a total of 1,374 international caps.
It’s a unique and exciting opportunity for this group to represent the Red Roses in a home World Cup. The selection process is never easy. We have dedicated two years to selecting the perfect combination of positional coverage, skills, mentality, and connection; we believe this is a team capable of winning the World Cup.
John Mitchell, Red Roses Coach
The Red Roses will seek to conquer the world title for the first time since 2014, the year they won the trophy in France. In the 2022 edition, England reached the final, falling to New Zealand in a closely contested match in Auckland.
Mitchell, who took office in 2023, has guided the team to success, achieving two consecutive Grand Slams in the Six Nations. England remains undefeated since the last World Cup final.
England’s debut in the tournament will be 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.
