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England Red Roses head coach John Mitchell has revealed his side to begin their home 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign against the USA in Sunderland on Friday.
The starting XV is unchanged from the side which defeated France 40-6 in England’s second warm-up match ahead of the tournament, with skipper Zoe Aldcroft – until recently a full-time lock – starting in the back row at blindside flanker.
“We have been building nicely into the tournament and now we’re excited to get our campaign underway,” Mitchell said on Wednesday.
“Sunderland have been a great host city thus far and we know it’ll be a record crowd for a Women’s Rugby World Cup opening match which shows the appetite for rugby in this region and for the competition ahead.
“We want to embrace the occasion whilst understanding we have to remain where our feet are and earn the right to progress through the pool stage.”
Head coach John Mitchell is looking to guide the Red Roses to their first World Cup triumph since 2014
Finalists in all but one of the nine editions, two-time winners England are banking on home advantage to boost their conversion rate and finally break New Zealand’s stranglehold on the tournament.
The Red Roses start the competition as rugby’s top-ranked team, tournament favourites and having won the last seven Six Nations titles. They will play in front of a record opening-match crowd, with over 40,000 tickets sold.
But the Black Ferns, back-to-back defending champions, remain the team to beat and arrive on English soil fearless, with five of their six World Cup titles won at England’s expense.
Red Roses: 15 Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 53 caps), 14 Abby Dow (Unattached, 54 caps), 13 Megan Jones (Trailfinders Women, 27 caps), 12 Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury, 31 caps), 11 Jess Breach (Saracens, 47 caps), 10 Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 59 caps), 9 Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury, 82 caps); 1 Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears, 58 caps), 2 Amy Cokayne (Sale Sharks, 84 caps), 3 Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 42 caps), 4 Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks, 23 caps), 5 Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 76 caps), 6 Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 65 caps), 7 Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning, 23 caps), 8 Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, 76 caps).
Replacements: 16 Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears, 68 caps), 17 Kelsey Clifford (Saracens, 15 caps), 18 Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 73 caps), 19 Rosie Galligan (Saracens, 25 caps), 20 Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs, 17 caps), 21 Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 33 caps), 22 Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning, 118 caps), 23 Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury, 10 caps)
As Women’s Rugby World Cup lands in England in 2025 can home advantage propel the Red Roses to glory?
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 schedule
Pool stage
Pool A
August 22: England vs United States – Sunderland, 7.30pm
August 23: Australia vs Samoa – Salford, 12pm
August 30: England vs Samoa – Northampton, 5pm
August 30: United States vs Australia – York, 7.30pm
September 6: United States vs Samoa – York, 1.30pm
September 6: England vs Australia – Brighton, 5pm
Pool B
August 23: Scotland vs Wales – Salford, 2.45pm
August 23: Canada vs Fiji – York, 5.30pm
August 30: Canada vs Wales – Salford, 12pm
August 30: Scotland vs Fiji – Salford, 2.45pm
September 6: Canada vs Scotland – Exeter, 12pm
September 6: Wales vs Fiji – Exeter, 2.45pm
Pool C
August 24: Ireland vs Japan – Northampton, 12pm
August 24: New Zealand vs Spain – York, 5.30pm
August 31: Ireland vs Spain – Northampton, 12pm
August 31: New Zealand vs Japan – Exeter, 2pm
September 7: Japan vs Spain – York, 12pm
September 7: New Zealand vs Ireland – Brighton, 2.45pm
Pool D
August 23: France vs Italy – Exeter, 8.15pm
August 24: South Africa vs Brazil – Northampton, 2.45pm
August 31: Italy vs South Africa – York, 3.30pm
August 31: France vs Brazil – Exeter, 4.45pm
September 7: Italy vs Brazil – Northampton, 2pm
September 7: France vs South Africa – Northampton, 4.45pm
The redesigned Women’s Rugby World Cup trophy awaits its next champion – but who will claim it in 2025?
Red Roses 32-player World Cup squad
Forwards: Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 63 caps), Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears, 66 caps), Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 71 caps), Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears, 56 caps), Abi Burton (Trailfinders Women, 2 caps), May Campbell (Saracens, 3 caps), Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury, 21 caps), Kelsey Clifford (Saracens, 13 caps), Amy Cokayne (Sale Sharks, 83 caps), Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs, 15 caps), Rosie Galligan (Saracens, 24 caps), Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning, 2 caps), Sadia Kabeya, (Loughborough Lightning, 21 caps), Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, 75 caps), Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 40 caps), Marlie Packer (Saracens, 110 caps), Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks, 22 caps), Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 74 caps)
Backs: Holly Aitchison (Sale Sharks, 40 caps), Jess Breach (Saracens, 45 caps), Abby Dow (Unattached, 52 caps), Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 57 caps), Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury, 29 caps), Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury, 80 caps), Megan Jones (Trailfinders Women, 25 caps), Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 52 caps), Claudia Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs, 35 caps), Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 31 caps), Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 39 caps), Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning, 118 caps), Jade Shekells (Gloucester-Hartpury, 2 caps), Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury, 8 caps)
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