England women's national rugby union team

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the men's team, see England national rugby union team.

England
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Red Roses
EmblemRed Rose
UnionRugby Football Union
Head coachJohn Mitchell
CaptainMarlie Packer
Most capsSarah Hunter (141)
Top scorerEmily Scarratt (749)
Top try scorerSue Day (61)
Home stadiumTwickenham
First
colours
Second
colours
World Cup
Appearances9 (First in 1991)
Best resultChampions, 1994, 2014

The England women's national rugby union team, commonly known as the Red Roses, represents England in women's international rugby union. They compete in the annual

Women's Rugby World Cup in 1994 and 2014, and have been runners-up on six other occasions. Their current permanent head coach, as of October 2023, is John Mitchell.[1]

History

England at the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup.

Until 2009 the badge and logo of England women's national teams was significantly different from that worn by men's teams. However, in 2009 in anticipation of the merger between the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football Union for Women England teams adopted the men's rose.[citation needed]

England have taken part in every

Women's Rugby World Cup
competition, winning in 1994 and 2014 and finishing as runner-up on six other occasions.

The 1995/1996 season saw the introduction of a Home Nations Championship between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, which England won in its inaugural year. England won the Championship every year, except for the 1997/98 season when it was won by Scotland.

France joined the competition in the 1998/99 season making it the Five Nations Championship, with England achieving the Grand Slam in three successive seasons.

In the 2001/02 season, Ireland rejoined the fold in preparation for the World Cup and the competition expanded to be known as the Six Nations. Since then England have finished lower than runner-up on only 2 occasions, in 2013 and 2015 respectively, and have won the title on 14 separate occasions. This includes 7 consecutive tournament triumphs between 2006 and 2012 and the Grand Slam on 12 more occasions, including 3 times in a row between 2006–2008 and 2010–2012, respectively.

Records

Women's
World Rugby Rankings
Top 20 rankings as of 15 April 2024[2]
Rank Change* Team Points
1 Steady  England 096.18
2 Steady  New Zealand 090.56
3 Steady  France 088.00
4 Steady  Canada 086.27
5 Steady  Australia 081.61
6 Steady  Italy 076.50
7 Steady  Scotland 075.80
8 Steady  Wales 073.41
9 Steady  United States 072.57
10 Steady  Ireland 072.35
11 Steady  Japan 069.38
12 Steady  South Africa 065.17
13 Steady  Spain 065.15
14 Steady  Russia 061.10
15 Steady  Samoa 059.57
16 Steady  Netherlands 058.98
17 Steady  Fiji 058.65
18 Steady  Hong Kong 058.31
19 Steady  Kazakhstan 055.97
20 Steady  Sweden 052.72
*Change from the previous week

Overall

See also: List of England women's national rugby union team matches
Full internationals only

Correct as of 13 April 2024

Opponent First game Played Won Drawn Lost Win %
 Australia 1998 8 8 0 0 100.00%
 Canada 1993 39 35 1 3 89.74%
 Fiji 2022 1 1 0 0 100.00%
 France 1991 55 42 0 13 76.36%
 Germany 1997 1 1 0 0 100.00%
 Ireland 1996 32 30 0 2 93.75%
 Italy 1991 27 27 0 0 100.00%
 Kazakhstan 2000 3 3 0 0 100.00%
 Netherlands 1990 4 4 0 0 100.00%
 New Zealand 1997 32 12 1 19 37.50%
 Russia 1994 2 2 0 0 100.00%
 Samoa 2005 2 2 0 0 100.00%
 Scotland 1994 32 30 0 2 93.75%
 South Africa 2005 6 6 0 0 100.00%
 Spain 1991 16 14 1 1 87.50%
 Sweden 1988 3 3 0 0 100.00%
 United States 1991 20 19 0 1 95.00%
 Wales 1987 43 41 0 2 95.35%
Total 1987 326 280 3 43 85.39%

World Cup

Main article: England women at the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
Year Round Pld W D L PF PA Squad
Wales 1991 Runners-up 4 3 0 1 56 28 Squad
Scotland 1994 Champions 5 5 0 0 172 39 Squad
Netherlands 1998 Third Place 5 4 0 1 219 78 Squad
Spain 2002 Runners-up 4 3 0 1 138 37 Squad
Canada 2006 Runners-up 5 4 0 1 146 47 Squad
England 2010 Runners-up 5 4 0 1 171 23 Squad
France 2014
Champions
 		5 4 1 0 184 37 Squad
Ireland 2017
Runners-up
 		5 4 0 1 211 88 Squad
New Zealand 2021
Runners-up
 		6 5 0 1 270 84 Squad
England 2025 Qualified
Australia 2029 TBD
United States 2033
Total Champions† 44 36 1 7 1487 451
  Champion   Runner-up   Third place   Fourth place
* Tied placing † Best placing Home venue

Six Nations

 England  France  Ireland  Italy  Scotland  Spain  Wales
Tournaments 27 24 25 16 27 7 27
Outright Wins 18 6 2 0 1 0 0
Grand Slams 16 5 1 0 1 0 0
Triple Crowns 22 — 2 — 1 — 1
Wooden Spoons 0 0 5 3 9 2 6

Players

Current squad

On 11 March 2024, head coach John Mitchell announced England's 35-player squad for the 2024 Women's Six Nations.[3]

Note: The age and number of caps listed for each player is as of 23 March 2024, the first day of the tournament.

Head coach: New Zealand John Mitchell

Player Position Date of birth (age) Caps Club/province
Lark Atkin-Davies
Hooker
 (1995-03-03)3 March 1995 (aged 29) 54 England Bristol Bears
Amy Cokayne
Hooker
 (1996-07-11)11 July 1996 (aged 27) 72 England Leicester Tigers
Connie Powell
Hooker
 (2000-07-13)13 July 2000 (aged 23) 14 England Harlequins
Hannah Botterman
Prop
 (1999-06-08)8 June 1999 (aged 24) 42 England Bristol Bears
Mackenzie Carson
Prop
 (1998-11-28)28 November 1998 (aged 25) 10 England Gloucester-Hartpury
Kelsey Clifford
Prop
 (2001-12-11)11 December 2001 (aged 22) 3 England Saracens
Lizzie Hanlon
Prop
 (2001-07-30)30 July 2001 (aged 22) 0 England Exeter Chiefs
Maud Muir
Prop
 (2001-07-12)12 July 2001 (aged 22) 25 England Gloucester-Hartpury
Zoe Aldcroft
Lock
 (1996-11-19)19 November 1996 (aged 26) 48 England Gloucester-Hartpury
Rosie Galligan
Lock
 (1998-04-30)30 April 1998 (aged 25) 14 England Saracens
Catherine O'Donnell
Lock
 (1996-06-13)13 June 1996 (aged 27) 30 England Loughborough Lightning
Morwenna Talling
Lock
 (2002-09-29)29 September 2002 (aged 21) 11 England Sale Sharks
Abbie Ward
Lock
 (1993-03-27)27 March 1993 (aged 30) 61 England Bristol Bears
Sarah Beckett
Back row
 (1999-02-14)14 February 1999 (aged 25) 34 England Gloucester-Hartpury
Poppy Cleall
Back row
 (1992-06-12)12 June 1992 (aged 31) 65 England Saracens
Maddie Fe'aunati
Back row
 (2002-05-18)18 May 2002 (aged 21) 0 England Exeter Chiefs
Sadia Kabeya
Back row
 (2002-02-22)22 February 2002 (aged 22) 13 England Loughborough Lightning
Alex Matthews
Back row
 (1993-08-03)3 August 1993 (aged 30) 62 England Gloucester-Hartpury
Marlie Packer (c)
Back row
 (1989-10-02)2 October 1989 (aged 34) 99 England Saracens
Natasha Hunt
Scrum-half
 (1989-03-21)21 March 1989 (aged 35) 67 England Gloucester-Hartpury
Lucy Packer
Scrum-half
 (2000-02-02)2 February 2000 (aged 24) 16 England Harlequins
Ella Wyrwas
Scrum-half
 (1999-03-07)7 March 1999 (aged 25) 6 England Saracens
Holly Aitchison
Fly-half
 (1997-09-13)13 September 1997 (aged 26) 25 England Bristol Bears
Zoe Harrison
Fly-half
 (1998-04-14)14 April 1998 (aged 25) 46 England Saracens
Helena Rowland
Fly-half
 (1999-09-19)19 September 1999 (aged 24) 28 England Loughborough Lightning
Sophie Bridger
Centre
 (2000-06-26)26 June 2000 (aged 23) 2 England Saracens
Sydney Gregson
Centre
 (1996-01-20)20 January 1996 (aged 28) 3 England Saracens
Tatyana Heard
Centre
 (1995-01-14)14 January 1995 (aged 29) 18 England Gloucester-Hartpury
Megan Jones
Centre
 (1996-10-28)28 October 1996 (aged 27) 16 England Leicester Tigers
Emily Scarratt
Centre
 (1990-02-08)8 February 1990 (aged 34) 108 England Loughborough Lightning
Jessica Breach
Wing
 (1997-11-04)4 November 1997 (aged 26) 33 England Saracens
Abby Dow
Wing
 (1997-09-29)29 September 1997 (aged 26) 40 England Trailfinders
Vicky Laflin
Wing
 (1997-07-23)23 July 1997 (aged 26) 0 England Trailfinders
Ellie Kildunne
Fullback
 (1999-09-08)8 September 1999 (aged 24) 38 England Harlequins
Emma Sing
Fullback
 (2001-03-11)11 March 2001 (aged 23) 6 England Gloucester-Hartpury

List of all players

Main article: List of England women's national rugby union players

Notable players

World Rugby Awards

The following England players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2001:[4]

World Rugby Women's 15s Try of the Year
Year Date Nominee Match Tournament Winner
2021 30 April Abby Dow vs. France Exhibition Match —
2022 5 November Abby Dow (2) vs. Canada Rugby World Cup Abby Dow
2023 29 April Zoe Aldcroft vs. France Six Nations —

Hall of famers

England have five former players who have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame:

Players Year inducted Refs
Carol Isherwood 2014 [6]
Gill Burns 2014 [7]
Maggie Alphonsi 2016 [8]
Sue Dorrington 2022 [9]
Mary Forsyth 2022 [10]

Six Nations Player of the Championship

The following England players have been shortlisted for the Women's Six Nations Player of the Championship since 2020:[11]

Year Nominees Winners
2020 Emily Scarratt Emily Scarratt
2021 Zoe Aldcroft Poppy Cleall
Poppy Cleall
2022 Sarah Bern —
Marlie Packer
2023 Holly Aitchison
Marlie Packer (2)

Rugby Players' Association Player of the Year

The following players have been voted as the RPA England Player of the Year since 2013:[12]

Individual records

As of 23 March 2024[24]

Players active at international level as of March 2024 are listed in bold italics.

Coaches

Current coaching staff

The following table outlines the current England senior coaching team, as of the 2024 Women's Six Nations.[25]

Name Role
New Zealand John Mitchell Head Coach
England Louis Deacon Forwards Coach
England Lou Meadows Attack Coach
England Sarah Hunter Transition Coach
England Charlie Hayter Head of Performance

Notable former coaches

Honours

Winners (2): 1994, 2014[26]
Runners-up (6): 1991, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2017, 2021
Winners (1): 2023
Winners (19): 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Grand Slam (17): 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
Triple Crown (23): 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
  • European Championship
Winners (5):
2012
Runners-up (1): 2004

References

  1. ^ Orchard, Sara (4 May 2023). "England: John Mitchell appointed women's head coach after Simon Middleton departure". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Women's World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  3. ^ "35-player Red Roses squad announced for Six Nations". www.englandrugby.com. England Rugby. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Awards Roll of Honour - World Rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Eight Red Roses named in World Rugby team of the decade". www.englandrugby.com. England Rugby. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Carol Isherwood - World Rugby - Hall of Fame". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Gillian Burns - World Rugby - Hall of Fame". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Margaret Alphonsi - World Rugby - Hall of Fame". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Sue Dorrington - World Rugby - Hall of Fame". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Mary Forsyth - World Rugby - Hall of Fame". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Women's Six Nations Player of the Championship". Six Nations Rugby. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  12. ^ "The RPA Awards – Previous Awards". therpa.co.uk. Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  13. ^ "2013 – The RPA". therpa.co.uk. Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  14. ^ "2014 – The RPA". therpa.co.uk. Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  15. ^ "2015 – The RPA". therpa.co.uk. Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  16. ^ "2016 – The RPA". therpa.co.uk. Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  17. ^ "2017 – The RPA". therpa.co.uk. Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  18. ^ "2018 – The RPA". therpa.co.uk. Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  19. ^ "2019 – The RPA". therpa.co.uk. Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  20. ^ "2020 – The RPA". therpa.co.uk. Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  21. ^ "2021 – The RPA". therpa.co.uk. Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  22. ^ "2022 – The RPA". therpa.co.uk. Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  23. ^ "2023 – The RPA". therpa.co.uk. Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Player Records". www.englandrugby.com. England Rugby. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  25. ^ "John Mitchell appointed Red Roses Head Coach". www.englandrugby.com. England Rugby. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  26. ^ James Riach (17 August 2014). "England 21-9 Canada – Women's rugby World Cup match report". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 December 2014.

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