# England women's national rugby union team

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.

## History

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.
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
### Overall
#### 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

Rugby World Cup record :
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | Squad | Head coach |
| 1991 | Runners-up | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 56 | 28 | Squad | S. Dowling |
| 1994 | Champions | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 172 | 39 | Squad | S. Dowling |
| 1998 | Third place | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 219 | 78 | Squad | E. Field |
| 2002 | Runners-up | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 138 | 37 | Squad | G. Richards |
| 2006 | Runners-up | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 146 | 47 | Squad | G. Richards |
| 2010 | Runners-up | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 171 | 23 | Squad | G. Street |
| 2014 | Champions | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 184 | 37 | Squad | G. Street |
| 2017 | Runners-up | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 211 | 88 | Squad | S. Middleton |
| 2021 | Runners-up | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 270 | 84 | Squad | S. Middleton |
| 2025 | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | J. Mitchell |
| 2029 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2033 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 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 | 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
### Current squad

On 17 March 2025, head coach John Mitchell announced England's 37-player squad for the 2025 Women's Six Nations Championship.
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 | (1995-03-03)3 March 1995 (aged 30) | 62 | Bristol Bears |
| May Campbell | Hooker | (1996-05-16)16 May 1996 (aged 28) | 1 | Saracens |
| Amy Cokayne | Hooker | (1996-07-11)11 July 1996 (aged 27) | 79 | Leicester Tigers |
| Hannah Botterman | Prop | (1999-06-08)8 June 1999 (aged 25) | 51 | Bristol Bears |
| Sarah Bern | Prop | (1997-07-10)10 July 1997 (aged 27) | 66 | Bristol Bears |
| Mackenzie Carson | Prop | (1998-11-28)28 November 1998 (aged 26) | 21 | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Kelsey Clifford | Prop | (2001-12-11)11 December 2001 (aged 23) | 9 | Saracens |
| Maud Muir | Prop | (2001-07-12)12 July 2001 (aged 23) | 35 | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Zoe Aldcroft (c) | Lock | (1996-11-19)19 November 1996 (aged 26) | 58 | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Charlotte Fray | Lock | (2000-05-26)26 May 2000 (aged 23) | 0 | Leicester Tigers |
| Rosie Galligan | Lock | (1998-04-30)30 April 1998 (aged 26) | 19 | Saracens |
| Lilli Ives Campion | Lock | (2003-10-10)10 October 2003 (aged 21) | 1 | Loughborough Lightning |
| Morwenna Talling | Lock | (2002-09-29)29 September 2002 (aged 21) | 18 | Sale Sharks |
| Abbie Ward | Lock | (1993-03-27)27 March 1993 (aged 31) | 69 | Bristol Bears |
| Sarah Beckett | Back row | (1999-02-14)14 February 1999 (aged 26) | 35 | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Georgia Brock | Back row | (2001-04-19)19 April 2001 (aged 23) | 2 | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Abi Burton | Back row | (2000-03-09)9 March 2000 (aged 25) | 0 | Trailfinders |
| Maddie Feaunati | Back row | (2002-05-18)18 May 2002 (aged 22) | 10 | Exeter Chiefs |
| Sadia Kabeya | Back row | (2002-02-22)22 February 2002 (aged 23) | 18 | Loughborough Lightning |
| Alex Matthews | Back row | (1993-08-03)3 August 1993 (aged 31) | 72 | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Marlie Packer | Back row | (1989-10-02)2 October 1989 (aged 35) | 108 | Saracens |
| Natasha Hunt | Scrum-half | (1989-03-21)21 March 1989 (aged 36) | 76 | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Lucy Packer | Scrum-half | (2000-02-02)2 February 2000 (aged 25) | 26 | Harlequins |
| Flo Robinson | Scrum-half | (2001-10-04)4 October 2001 (aged 23) | 0 | Exeter Chiefs |
| Holly Aitchison | Fly-half | (1997-09-13)13 September 1997 (aged 27) | 35 | Bristol Bears |
| Zoe Harrison | Fly-half | (1998-04-14)14 April 1998 (aged 26) | 54 | Saracens |
| Helena Rowland | Fly-half | (1999-09-19)19 September 1999 (aged 25) | 34 | Loughborough Lightning |
| Tatyana Heard | Centre | (1995-01-14)14 January 1995 (aged 30) | 26 | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Megan Jones | Centre | (1996-10-28)28 October 1996 (aged 28) | 21 | Leicester Tigers |
| Emily Scarratt | Centre | (1990-02-08)8 February 1990 (aged 35) | 116 | Loughborough Lightning |
| Jade Shekells | Centre | (1996-09-28)28 September 1996 (aged 28) | 0 | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Jessica Breach | Wing | (1997-11-04)4 November 1997 (aged 27) | 43 | Saracens |
| Abigail Dow | Wing | (1997-09-29)29 September 1997 (aged 27) | 48 | Trailfinders |
| Claudia MacDonald | Wing | (1996-01-04)4 January 1996 (aged 29) | 48 | Exeter Chiefs |
| Mia Venner | Wing | (2002-05-03)3 May 2002 (aged 22) | 1 | Gloucester-Hartpury |
| Ellie Kildunne | Fullback | (1999-09-08)8 September 1999 (aged 25) | 48 | Harlequins |
| Emma Sing | Fullback | (2001-03-11)11 March 2001 (aged 24) | 6 | Gloucester-Hartpury |

### Contracted players

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.
| Red Roses Contracted Players (2024–25) |
| Props Sarah Bern Hannah Botterman Mackenzie Carson Kelsey Clifford Liz Crake Maud Muir Hookers Lark Atkin-Davies Amy Cokayne Connie Powell Locks Zoe Aldcroft Rosie Galligan Cath O'Donnell Morwenna Talling Abbie Ward | Back row Sarah Beckett Maddie Feaunati Sadia Kabeya Alex Matthews Marlie Packer Scrum-halves Natasha Hunt Lucy Packer Ella Wyrwas Fly-halves Holly Aitchison Zoe Harrison | Centres Tatyana Heard Meg Jones Helena Rowland Emily Scarratt Wings Jess Breach Abby Dow Claudia MacDonald Full-backs Ellie Kildunne | Transition players Maisy Allen Katie Buchanan Grace Clifford Steph Else Lizzie Hanlon Lilli Ives Campion Nancy McGillivray Mia Venner |

### List of all players
## Individual records
### World Rugby Awards

The following England players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2001:
World Rugby Women's 15s Player of the Year :
| Year | Nominees | Winners |
| 2001 | Shelley Rae | Shelley Rae |
| 2006 | Maggie Alphonsi | Maggie Alphonsi |
| 2008 | Carol Isherwood | Carol Isherwood |
| 2010 | Maggie Alphonsi (2) | — |
| 2010 | Danielle Waterman | — |
| 2012 | Michaela Staniford | Michaela Staniford |
| 2016 | Sarah Hunter | Sarah Hunter |
| 2019 | Sarah Bern | Emily Scarratt |
| 2019 | Katy Daley-McLean | Emily Scarratt |
| 2019 | Emily Scarratt | Emily Scarratt |
| 2021 | Zoe Aldcroft | Zoe Aldcroft |
| 2021 | Poppy Cleall | Zoe Aldcroft |
| 2022 | Alex Matthews | — |
| 2023 | Abby Dow | Marlie Packer |
| 2023 | Marlie Packer | Marlie Packer |
| 2024 | Ellie Kildunne | Ellie Kildunne |
| 2024 | Alex Matthews (2) | Ellie Kildunne |
World Rugby Women's 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year :
| Year | Nominees | Winners |
| 2022 | Maud Muir | — |
| 2024 | Maddie Feaunati | — |
World Rugby Women's 15s Dream Team of the Year :
| Year | Forwards | Forwards | Backs | Backs | Total |
| Year | No. | Players | No. | Players | Total |
| 2021 | 3. | Sarah Bern | 11. | Abby Dow | 5 |
| 2021 | 5. | Abbie Ward | 11. | Abby Dow | 5 |
| 2021 | 6. | Zoe Aldcroft | 11. | Abby Dow | 5 |
| 2021 | 8. | Poppy Cleall | 11. | Abby Dow | 5 |
| 2022 | 3. | Sarah Bern (2) | 13. | Emily Scarratt | 6 |
| 2022 | 4. | Abbie Ward (2) | 13. | Emily Scarratt | 6 |
| 2022 | 6. | Alex Matthews | 15. | Abby Dow (2) | 6 |
| 2022 | 7. | Marlie Packer | 15. | Abby Dow (2) | 6 |
| 2023 | 2. | Lark Atkin-Davies | 11. | Abby Dow (3) | 7 |
| 2023 | 3. | Sarah Bern (3) | 11. | Abby Dow (3) | 7 |
| 2023 | 4. | Zoe Aldcroft (2) | 15. | Ellie Kildunne | 7 |
| 2023 | 6. | Alex Matthews (2) | 15. | Ellie Kildunne | 7 |
| 2023 | 7. | Marlie Packer (2) | 15. | Ellie Kildunne | 7 |
| 2024 | 3. | Maud Muir | 10. | Holly Aitchison | 6 |
| 2024 | 4. | Zoe Aldcroft (3) | 14. | Abby Dow (4) | 6 |
| 2024 | 8. | Alex Matthews (3) | 14. | Ellie Kildunne (2) | 6 |
World Rugby 2010s Team of the Decade (Forwards) :
| No. | Players | Positions |
| 1. | Rocky Clark | Loosehead Prop |
| 3. | Sophie Hemming | Tighthead Prop |
| 5. | Tamara Taylor | Lock |
| 7. | Maggie Alphonsi | Openside Flanker |
World Rugby 2010s Team of the Decade (Backs) :
| No. | Players | Positions |
| 10. | Katy Daley-McLean | Fly-Half |
| 13. | Emily Scarratt | Outside Centre |
| 14. | Lydia Thompson | Right Wing |
| 15. | Danielle Waterman | Full-Back |
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 |
| Carol Isherwood | 2014 |
| Gill Burns | 2014 |
| Maggie Alphonsi | 2016 |
| Sue Dorrington | 2022 |
| Mary Forsyth | 2022 |

### Six Nations Awards

The following England players have been recognised in the Women's Six Nations Awards since 2020:
Six Nations Player of the Championship :
| Year | Nominee | Winner |
| 2020 | Emily Scarratt | Emily Scarratt |
| 2021 | Zoe Aldcroft | Poppy Cleall |
| 2021 | Poppy Cleall | Poppy Cleall |
| 2022 | Sarah Bern | — |
| 2022 | Marlie Packer | — |
| 2023 | Holly Aitchison | — |
| 2023 | Marlie Packer (2) | — |
| 2024 | Ellie Kildunne | Ellie Kildunne |
Six Nations Try of the Championship :
| Year | Nominee | Match | Winner | Ref |
| 2024 | Abby Dow | vs. Ireland | — | |
| 2024 | Ellie Kildunne | vs. Wales | — | |
Six Nations Team of the Championship :
| Year | Forwards | Forwards | Backs | Backs | Total |
| Year | No. | Players | No. | Players | Total |
| 2022 | 3. | Sarah Bern | 14. | Lydia Thompson | 5 |
| 2022 | 6. | Alex Matthews | 14. | Lydia Thompson | 5 |
| 2022 | 7. | Marlie Packer | 15. | Helena Rowland | 5 |
| 2023 | 1. | Hannah Botterman | 10. | Holly Aitchison | 9 |
| 2023 | 4. | Zoe Aldcroft | 10. | Holly Aitchison | 9 |
| 2023 | 5. | Sarah Beckett | 11. | Abby Dow | 9 |
| 2023 | 6. | Sadia Kabeya | 11. | Abby Dow | 9 |
| 2023 | 7. | Marlie Packer (2) | 14. | Jess Breach | 9 |
| 2023 | 8. | Alex Matthews (2) | 14. | Jess Breach | 9 |
| 2024 | 1. | Hannah Botterman (2) | 9. | Natasha Hunt | 9 |
| 2024 | 1. | Hannah Botterman (2) | 10. | Holly Aitchison (2) | 9 |
| 2024 | 3. | Maud Muir | 11. | Abby Dow (2) | 9 |
| 2024 | 5. | Zoe Aldcroft (2) | 13. | Meg Jones | 9 |
| 2024 | 7. | Sadia Kabeya (2) | 15. | Ellie Kildunne | 9 |

### Rugby Players' Association Player of the Year

The following players have been voted as the RPA England Player of the Year since 2013:
RPA Player of the Year (2013–16) :
| Year | Winners |
| 2013 | Emily Scarratt |
| 2014 | Rachael Burford |
| 2015 | Rocky Clark |
| 2016 | Sarah Hunter |
RPA Player of the Year (2017–20) :
| Year | Winners |
| 2017 | Tamara Taylor |
| 2018 | Danielle Waterman |
| 2019 | Sarah Bern |
| 2020 | Zoe Aldcroft |
RPA Player of the Year (2021–24) :
| Year | Winners |
| 2021 | Poppy Cleall |
| 2022 | Marlie Packer |
| 2023 | Sadia Kabeya |
| 2024 | Alex Matthews |
RPA Hall of Fame :
| Year | Inductees |
| 2021 | Rocky Clark |
| 2022 | Katy Daley-McLean |
| 2023 | Sarah Hunter |
RPA Special Merit Award :
| Year | Winners | Ref |
| 2023 | Emily Scarratt | |
| 2024 | Marlie Packer | |

### Statistical leaders

    As of 27 April 2024
Players active at international level as of April 2024 are listed in bold italics.
Most Caps :
| Rank | Player | Caps |
| 1. | Sarah Hunter | 141 |
| 2. | Rocky Clark | 137 |
| 3. | Katy Daley-McLean | 116 |
| 4. | Tamara Taylor | 115 |
| 5. | Emily Scarratt | 111 |
| 6. | Marlie Packer | 104 |
| 7. | Amy Garnett | 100 |
| 8. | Helen Clayton | 87 |
| 9. | Rachael Burford | 84 |
| 10. | Danielle Waterman | 82 |
Most Points :
| Rank | Player | Points |
| 1. | Emily Scarratt | 749 |
| 2. | Katy Daley-McLean | 542 |
| 3. | Sue Day | 305 |
| 4. | Nicola Crawford | 285 |
| 5. | Shelley Rae | 275 |
| 6. | Gill Burns | 241 |
| 7. | Danielle Waterman | 235 |
| 8. | Marlie Packer | 230 |
| 9. | Kat Merchant | 225 |
| 9. | Lydia Thompson | 225 |
Most Tries :
| Rank | Player | Tries |
| 1. | Sue Day | 61 |
| 2. | Nicola Crawford | 57 |
| 3. | Emily Scarratt | 53 |
| 4. | Danielle Waterman | 47 |
| 5. | Marlie Packer | 46 |
| 6. | Kat Merchant | 45 |
| 6. | Lydia Thompson | 45 |
| 8. | Jess Breach | 40 |
| 9. | Abby Dow | 37 |
| 10. | Christine Diver | 36 |

## Coaches
### Current coaching staff

The following table outlines the current England senior coaching team, as of the 2025 Women's Six Nations.
| Name | Role |
| John Mitchell | Head Coach |
| Louis Deacon | Forwards Coach |
| Lou Meadows | Attack / Backs Coach |
| Sarah Hunter | Defence / Transition Coach |
| Nathan Catt | Defence Coach (interim) |
| Charlie Hayter | Head of Performance |

### Notable former coaches
## Honours

* World Cup
    Winners (2): 1994, 2014
    Runners-up (6): 1991, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2017, 2021
* WXV
    Winners (2): 2023, 2024
* Six Nations Championship
    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
* European Championship
    Winners (5): 1997, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012
    Runners-up (1): 2004