England women's national rugby union team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
National team that represents England in international women's rugby union
For the men's team, see England national rugby union team.
| Shirt badge/Association crest | |
| Nickname | Red Roses |
|---|---|
| Emblem | Red Rose |
| Union | Rugby Football Union |
| Head coach | John Mitchell [1] |
| Captain | Zoe Aldcroft [2] |
| Most caps | Sarah Hunter (141)[3] |
| Top scorer | Emily Scarratt (749) |
| Top try scorer | Sue Day (61) |
| Home stadium | Twickenham Stadium and others[a] |
| World Rugby ranking | |
| Current | 1 (as of 25 November 2024) |
| Highest | 1 (2012–2013, 2014–2015, 2017, 2020–) |
| Lowest | 4 (2015) |
| First international | |
| Wales 4–22 England (Pontypool, Wales; 5 April 1987) | |
| Biggest win | |
| England 101–0 South Africa (East Molesey, England; 14 May 2005) | |
| Biggest defeat | |
| New Zealand 67–0 England (Burnham, New Zealand; 13 August 1997) | |
| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 9 (First in 1991) |
| Best result | Champions (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 Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. England have won the championship on a total of 20 out of 29 occasions – winning the Grand Slam 18 times and the Triple Crown 24 times – making them the most successful side in the tournament's history, helped by their status as the only fully professional women's team in 2019. They won the 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.[4]
History
[edit ]
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 re-joined 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 15 separate occasions. This includes 7 consecutive tournament triumphs between 2006 and 2012 and the Grand Slam on 13 more occasions, including 3 times in a row between 2006 and 2008, 2010–2012 and 2022–2024, respectively.
Team records
[edit ]| Rank | Change* | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steady | England | 97.56 |
| 2 | Steady | Canada | 89.31 |
| 3 | Steady | New Zealand | 88.64 |
| 4 | Steady | France | 85.11 |
| 5 | Steady | Australia | 78.10 |
| 6 | Steady | Ireland | 78.03 |
| 7 | Steady | Scotland | 76.82 |
| 8 | Steady | Italy | 74.75 |
| 9 | Steady | United States | 74.20 |
| 10 | Steady | Wales | 72.58 |
| 11 | Steady | Japan | 66.41 |
| 12 | Steady | South Africa | 66.18 |
| 13 | Steady | Spain | 65.42 |
| 14 | Steady | Samoa | 60.56 |
| 15 | Steady | Netherlands | 60.20 |
| 16 | Steady | Fiji | 59.14 |
| 17 | Steady | Hong Kong | 56.20 |
| 18 | Steady | Kazakhstan | 55.23 |
| 19 | Steady | Russia | 55.10 |
| 20 | Steady | Sweden | 52.72 |
| *Change from the previous week | |||
Overall
[edit ]Further information: List of England women's national rugby union team matches
- Full internationals only
Correct as of 12 October 2024
| Opponent | First game | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1998 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Canada | 1993 | 37 | 33 | 1 | 3 | 89.19% |
| Fiji | 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| France | 1991 | 56 | 43 | 0 | 13 | 76.79% |
| Germany | 1997 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Ireland | 1996 | 32 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 93.75% |
| Italy | 1991 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Kazakhstan | 2000 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Netherlands | 1990 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| New Zealand | 1997 | 33 | 13 | 1 | 19 | 39.39% |
| Russia | 1994 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Samoa | 2005 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Scotland | 1994 | 33 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 93.94% |
| South Africa | 2005 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Spain | 1991 | 16 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 87.50% |
| Sweden | 1988 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| United States | 1991 | 21 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 95.24% |
| Wales | 1987 | 41 | 39 | 0 | 2 | 95.12% |
| Total | 1987 | 323 | 277 | 3 | 43 | 85.76% |
World Cup
[edit ]Main article: England women at the Rugby World Cup
| Rugby World Cup record | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | Squad | Head coach | ||||
| Wales 1991 | Runners-up | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 56 | 28 | Squad | S. Dowling | ||||
| Scotland 1994 | Champions | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 172 | 39 | Squad | S. Dowling | ||||
| Netherlands 1998 | Third place | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 219 | 78 | Squad | E. Field | ||||
| Spain 2002 | Runners-up | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 138 | 37 | Squad | G. Richards | ||||
| Canada 2006 | Runners-up | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 146 | 47 | Squad | |||||
| England 2010 | Runners-up | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 171 | 23 | Squad | G. Street | ||||
| France 2014 | Champions | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 184 | 37 | Squad | G. Street | ||||
| Ireland 2017 | Runners-up | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 211 | 88 | Squad | S. Middleton | ||||
| New Zealand 2021 | Runners-up | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 270 | 84 | Squad | |||||
| England 2025 | Qualified | J. Mitchell | |||||||||||
| Australia 2029 | To be determined | ||||||||||||
| United States 2033 | |||||||||||||
| Total | Champions† | 44 | 36 | 1 | 7 | 1487 | 451 | — | |||||
| |||||||||||||
Six Nations
[edit ]| England | France | Ireland | Italy | Scotland | Spain | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tournaments | 29 | 26 | 27 | 18 | 29 | 7 | 29 |
| Outright Wins | 20 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Slams | 18 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Triple Crowns | 24 | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Wooden Spoons | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 8 |
Players
[edit ]Current squad
[edit ]On 17 March 2025, head coach John Mitchell announced England's 37-player squad for the 2025 Women's Six Nations Championship.[6]
Note: The age and number of caps listed for each player is as of 22 March 2025, the first day of the tournament.
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lark Atkin-Davies | Hooker | (1995年03月03日)3 March 1995 (aged 30) | 62 | England Bristol Bears |
| May Campbell | Hooker | (1996年05月16日)16 May 1996 (aged 28) | 1 | England Saracens |
| Amy Cokayne | Hooker | (1996年07月11日)11 July 1996 (aged 27) | 79 | England Leicester Tigers |
| Hannah Botterman | Prop | (1999年06月08日)8 June 1999 (aged 25) | 51 | England Bristol Bears |
| Sarah Bern | Prop | (1997年07月10日)10 July 1997 (aged 27) | 66 | England Bristol Bears |
| Mackenzie Carson | Prop | (1998年11月28日)28 November 1998 (aged 26) | 21 | England Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Kelsey Clifford | Prop | (2001年12月11日)11 December 2001 (aged 23) | 9 | England Saracens |
| Maud Muir | Prop | (2001年07月12日)12 July 2001 (aged 23) | 35 | England Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Zoe Aldcroft (c) | Lock | (1996年11月19日)19 November 1996 (aged 26) | 58 | England Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Charlotte Fray | Lock | (2000年05月26日)26 May 2000 (aged 23) | 0 | England Leicester Tigers |
| Rosie Galligan | Lock | (1998年04月30日)30 April 1998 (aged 26) | 19 | England Saracens |
| Lilli Ives Campion | Lock | (2003年10月10日)10 October 2003 (aged 21) | 1 | England Loughborough Lightning |
| Morwenna Talling | Lock | (2002年09月29日)29 September 2002 (aged 21) | 18 | England Sale Sharks |
| Abbie Ward | Lock | (1993年03月27日)27 March 1993 (aged 31) | 69 | England Bristol Bears |
| Sarah Beckett | Back row | (1999年02月14日)14 February 1999 (aged 26) | 35 | England Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Georgia Brock | Back row | (2001年04月19日)19 April 2001 (aged 23) | 2 | England Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Abi Burton | Back row | (2000年03月09日)9 March 2000 (aged 25) | 0 | England Trailfinders |
| Maddie Feaunati | Back row | (2002年05月18日)18 May 2002 (aged 22) | 10 | England Exeter Chiefs |
| Sadia Kabeya | Back row | (2002年02月22日)22 February 2002 (aged 23) | 18 | England Loughborough Lightning |
| Alex Matthews | Back row | (1993年08月03日)3 August 1993 (aged 31) | 72 | England Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Marlie Packer (vc) | Back row | (1989年10月02日)2 October 1989 (aged 35) | 108 | England Saracens |
| Natasha Hunt | Scrum-half | (1989年03月21日)21 March 1989 (aged 36) | 76 | England Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Lucy Packer | Scrum-half | (2000年02月02日)2 February 2000 (aged 25) | 26 | England Harlequins |
| Flo Robinson | Scrum-half | (2001年10月04日)4 October 2001 (aged 23) | 0 | England Exeter Chiefs |
| Holly Aitchison | Fly-half | (1997年09月13日)13 September 1997 (aged 27) | 35 | England Bristol Bears |
| Zoe Harrison | Fly-half | (1998年04月14日)14 April 1998 (aged 26) | 54 | England Saracens |
| Helena Rowland | Fly-half | (1999年09月19日)19 September 1999 (aged 25) | 34 | England Loughborough Lightning |
| Tatyana Heard | Centre | (1995年01月14日)14 January 1995 (aged 30) | 26 | England Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Megan Jones (vc) | Centre | (1996年10月28日)28 October 1996 (aged 28) | 21 | England Leicester Tigers |
| Emily Scarratt | Centre | (1990年02月08日)8 February 1990 (aged 35) | 116 | England Loughborough Lightning |
| Jade Shekells | Centre | (1996年09月28日)28 September 1996 (aged 28) | 0 | England Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Jessica Breach | Wing | (1997年11月04日)4 November 1997 (aged 27) | 43 | England Saracens |
| Abigail Dow | Wing | (1997年09月29日)29 September 1997 (aged 27) | 48 | England Trailfinders |
| Claudia MacDonald | Wing | (1996年01月04日)4 January 1996 (aged 29) | 48 | England Exeter Chiefs |
| Mia Venner | Wing | (2002年05月03日)3 May 2002 (aged 22) | 1 | England Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Ellie Kildunne | Fullback | (1999年09月08日)8 September 1999 (aged 25) | 48 | England Harlequins |
| Emma Sing | Fullback | (2001年03月11日)11 March 2001 (aged 24) | 6 | England Gloucester-Hartpury |
Contracted players
[edit ]On 3 June 2024, the RFU confirmed it had awarded full-time central contracts to 32 England senior players for the 2024–25 season, with an additional 8 players receiving transition contracts.[7]
| Red Roses Contracted Players (2024–25) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Transition players |
List of all players
[edit ]Main article: List of England women's national rugby union players
Individual records
[edit ]World Rugby Awards
[edit ]The following England players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2001:[8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
|
|
| Year | Forwards | Backs | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Players | No. | Players | ||
| 2021 | 3. | Sarah Bern | 11. | Abby Dow | 5 |
| 5. | Abbie Ward | ||||
| 6. | Zoe Aldcroft | ||||
| 8. | Poppy Cleall | ||||
| 2022 | 3. | Sarah Bern (2) | 13. | Emily Scarratt | 6 |
| 4. | Abbie Ward (2) | ||||
| 6. | Alex Matthews | 15. | Abby Dow (2) | ||
| 7. | Marlie Packer | ||||
| 2023 | 2. | Lark Atkin-Davies | 11. | Abby Dow (3) | 7 |
| 3. | Sarah Bern (3) | ||||
| 4. | Zoe Aldcroft (2) | 15. | Ellie Kildunne | ||
| 6. | Alex Matthews (2) | ||||
| 7. | Marlie Packer (2) | ||||
| 2024 | 3. | Maud Muir | 10. | Holly Aitchison | 6 |
| 4. | Zoe Aldcroft (3) | 14. | Abby Dow (4) | ||
| 8. | Alex Matthews (3) | 14. | Ellie Kildunne (2) | ||
|
|
| 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
[edit ]England have five former players who have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame:
| Players | Year inducted | Refs |
|---|---|---|
| Carol Isherwood | 2014 | [14] |
| Gill Burns | 2014 | [15] |
| Maggie Alphonsi | 2016 | [16] |
| Sue Dorrington | 2022 | [17] |
| Mary Forsyth | 2022 | [18] |
Six Nations Awards
[edit ]The following England players have been recognised in the Women's Six Nations Awards since 2020:[19] [20] [21] [22] [23]
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby Players' Association Player of the Year
[edit ]The following players have been voted as the RPA England Player of the Year since 2013:[25]
|
|
|
|
|
Statistical leaders
[edit ]- As of 27 April 2024[38]
Players active at international level as of April 2024 are listed in bold italics.
|
|
|
Coaches
[edit ]Current coaching staff
[edit ]The following table outlines the current England senior coaching team, as of the 2025 Women's Six Nations.[39] [40]
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| New Zealand John Mitchell | Head Coach |
| England Louis Deacon | Forwards Coach |
| England Lou Meadows | Attack / Backs Coach |
| England Sarah Hunter | Defence / Transition Coach |
| England Nathan Catt | Defence Coach (interim) |
| England Charlie Hayter | Head of Performance |
Notable former coaches
[edit ]- England Gary Street (head coach 2007–15)
- 1x World Cup winner (2014)
- 1x World Cup runner-up (2010)
- 6x Six Nations winner (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
- England Simon Middleton (assistant coach 2014, head coach 2015–23)[41]
- 1x World Rugby Coach of the Year (2021)
- 2x World Cup runner-up (2017, 2021)
- 6x Six Nations winner (2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Honours
[edit ]- Winners (20): 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- Grand Slam (18): 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024
- Triple Crown (24): 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024
Notes
[edit ]- ^ The England women's team uses a variety of venues around England, to promote women's rugby to a wider audience. Twickenham is typically used for games of major importance.
References
[edit ]- ^ "John Mitchell profile page - England Rugby". England Rugby. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ^ Meagher, Gerard (9 January 2025). "'Phenomenal' Zoe Aldcroft named England women's rugby union captain". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ Rendell, Sarah (8 March 2024). "Top ten Red Roses appearance holders – most-capped England women's rugby players". Rugby World. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ Orchard, Sara (4 May 2023). "England: John Mitchell appointed women's head coach after Simon Middleton departure". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ "Women's World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ "Red Roses squad for Six Nations announced | Rugby Football Union". England Rugby. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ "Red Roses contracts announced for 2024/25". England Rugby. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- ^ "Awards Roll of Honour - World Rugby". World Rugby. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ "England's Emily Scarratt crowned women's world player of the year". The Guardian. 3 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ "Aldcroft crowned World Rugby's Women's Player of the Year". Six Nations Championship. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ "Marlie Packer: England captain wins World Rugby Women's Player of Year award for 2023". BBC Sport. 4 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ "Ellie Kildunne named World Rugby Player of the Year". 4 The Love Of Sport. 24 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Eight Red Roses named in World Rugby team of the decade". England Rugby. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ "Carol Isherwood - World Rugby - Hall of Fame". World Rugby. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Gillian Burns - World Rugby - Hall of Fame". World Rugby. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Margaret Alphonsi - World Rugby - Hall of Fame". World Rugby. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Sue Dorrington - World Rugby - Hall of Fame". World Rugby. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ "Mary Forsyth - World Rugby - Hall of Fame". World Rugby. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ "Women's Six Nations Player of the Championship". Six Nation Championship. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Poppy Cleall crowned 2021 Women's Six Nations Player of the Championship". Six Nation Championship. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Kildunne wins Guinness Player of the Championship". Six Nation Championship. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "2022 TikTok Women's Six Nations Team of the Championship revealed". Six Nation Championship. 14 May 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Revealed: The Fans' 2024 Team of the Championship". Six Nation Championship. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Try of the Championship - Vote Now". Six Nation Championship. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
- ^ "The RPA Awards – Previous Awards". The Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ "2013 – The RPA". The Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "2014 – The RPA". The Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "2015 – The RPA". The Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "2016 – The RPA". The Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "2017 – The RPA". The Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "2018 – The RPA". The Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "2019 – The RPA". The Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "2020 – The RPA". The Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ a b "2021 – The RPA". The Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ a b "2022 – The RPA". The Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ a b c "2023 – The RPA". The Rugby Players' Association. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ a b "The RPA Awards: 2024 Winners". The Rugby Players' Association. 29 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Player Records". England Rugby. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "John Mitchell appointed Red Roses Head Coach". England Rugby. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "Second Red Roses training squad of 2025 announced". England Rugby. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "Simon Middleton: Reflecting on the England coach's legacy". www.bbc.co.uk/sport. BBC Sport. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ^ Riach, James (17 August 2014). "England 21-9 Canada – Women's rugby World Cup match report". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
External links
[edit ]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to England women's national rugby union team .