England Women’s head coach John Mitchell has named a 38-player training squad, as the Red Roses begin their preparations for the 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations. England ended 2023 with a perfect year, following a Six Nations Grand Slam and winning the inugural WXV1 title in New Zealand.
The squad will assemble on Monday 22nd of January for three days, with Mitchell also confirming a list of six injured players who will look to join a later camp, with two former World Rugby Women’s Players of the Year amongst those on the side-lines. Emily Scarratt and Zoe Aldcroft are currently on the road to recovery, yet Bristol prop Sarah Bern and Exeter centre Nancy McGillivray are the only two confirmed players that will miss the 2024 Six Nations.
The Red Roses begin their 2024 Women’s Six Nations campaign on Sunday March 24th, as they start their title retention mission against Italy. England have won the last five consecutive Women’s Six Nations competitions, with the best record of back-to-back titles standing at seven in a row (2006-2012). Speaking on his selected group of players, Mitchell said;
“We are excited to come together for our first camp of 2024 and build on the positive experience of WXV and introduce some new people to what we are about.
“It is our first opportunity to revisit what we value, update our athletic profiling data of the group and re-focus on where our game is working and where we take it to next.”
38-player training squad:
Forwards (21)
Maisy Allen (Exeter Chiefs, 5 caps)
Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears, 54 caps)
Sarah Beckett (Gloucester-Hartpury, 34 caps)
Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears, 42 caps)
Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury, 10 caps)
Kelsey Clifford (Saracens, 3 caps)
May Campbell (Saracens, 1 cap)
Rosie Galligan (Saracens, 14 caps)
Lizzie Hanlon (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
Daisy Hibbert-Jones (Loughborough Lightning, 1 cap)
Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning, uncapped)
Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning, 13 caps)
Sharifa Kasolo (Saracens, uncapped)
Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, 62 caps)
Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 25 caps)
Gabriella Nigrelli (Bristol Bears, uncapped)
Cath O’Donnell (Loughborough Lightning, 30 caps)
Marlie Packer (Saracens, 99 caps)
Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury, 10 caps)
Connie Powell (Harlequins, 14 caps)
Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 61 caps)
Backs (17)
Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears, 25 caps)
Sophie Bridger (Saracens, 2 caps)
Jess Breach (Saracens, 33 caps)
Katie Buchanan (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
Merryn Doidge (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
Abby Dow (Trailfinders Women, 40 caps)
Sydney Gregson (Saracens, 3 caps)
Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury, 18 caps)
Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury, 67 caps)
Megan Jones (Leicester Tigers, 16 caps)
Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 38 caps)
Claudia MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs, 32 caps)
Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 16 caps)
Amber Reed (Bristol Bears, 67 caps)
Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 28 caps)
Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury, 6 caps)
Ella Wyrwas (Saracens, 6 caps)
Unavailable for camp due to injury:
Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 48 caps)
Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers, 72 caps)
Lizzie Duffy (Sale Sharks, uncapped)
Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 46 caps)
Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning, 108 caps)
Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks, 11 caps)
Unavailable for Guinness Women’s Six Nations due to injury:
Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 61 caps)
Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)