5 Players to Watch: Red Roses squad for the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup

England will then face Samoa (Saturday 30th August, Franklin's Gardens) and Australia (Saturday 7th September, Brighton & Hove Albion Stadium), in pool stage action before the tournament progresses on to the knock-out stages. Mitchell revealed his 32-player squad this morning at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, with the full squad list below:

FORWARDS: Zoe Aldcroft (c) (Gloucester-Hartpury) Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears) Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears) Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears) Abi Burton (Trailfinders Women) May Campbell (Saracens) Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury) Kelsey Clifford (Saracens) Amy Cokayne (Sale Sharks) Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs) Rosie Galligan (Saracens) Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning) Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning) Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury) Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury) Marlie Packer (Saracens) Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks) Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears)

BACKS: Holly Aitchison (Saracens) Jess Breach (Saracens) Abby Dow (Unattached) Zoe Harrison (Saracens) Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury) Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury) Megan Jones (Trailfinders Women) Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins) Claudia Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs) Lucy Packer (Harlequins) Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning) Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning) Jade Shekells (Gloucester-Hartpury) Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury)

England have sat firmly at the top of the World Rugby Rankings since November 2020, however, the Red Roses collapsed in dramatic style in the 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup Final. The Black Ferns snatched a 34-31 victory in the dying moments in Auckland's Eden Park, as England were defeated in heart-breaking fashion upon New Zealand soil.

Since then, England have had a clear goal: win the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup and become the best side on the planet. The Red Roses have since beaten everyone in their wake with 25 consecutive test match wins, as they collected the Women's Six Nations and WXV1 titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025. This tidal wave of momentum will now surge across their home-hosted Women's Rugby World Cup, in the hopes of winning the long-overdue trophy in Twickenham on September 27th.

There are plenty of stand-out names within the squad, as Mitchell has gone all guns blazing in pursuit of England's first Women's Rugby World Cup title since 2014. In this article, we have selected the top five Red Roses to watch throughout the tournament, as the Red Roses chase down the right to be called World Champions in the coming months.

When it comes to icons of the women’s game, few names carry the weight of Emily Scarratt. A generational talent, Scarratt is heading into what will be a record-breaking fifth Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025. This is an incredible feat of longevity, that cements her place among the true greats of not just English rugby, but the global game as a whole.

Now 35, the Loughborough Lightning back is an experienced figure for the Red Roses, combining tactical nous, leadership, and a proven ability to deliver on the biggest stages. A veteran of 118 Test matches, Scarratt is the third most-capped England Women’s player in history, behind only Rocky Clark and Sarah Hunter. She’s also England’s all-time leading points scorer with 749 to her name and sits third on the all-time try list with 53 – trailing only legends Nicola Crawford (57) and Sue Day (61).

Scarratt starred for the Red Roses the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup, where she played a crucial role in England’s triumph over Canada, scoring the decisive try and contributing 16 points in the final. A former Rugby Sevens star who turned down a US basketball scholarship at just 16, she captained Team GB at the Rio Olympics and helped secure Commonwealth bronze in 2018.

Her versatility across the backline – having featured at fly-half, both centre positions, and fullback – has made her a coach’s dream over the years. Even after an injury-hit spell, she returned to the Red Roses in 2024 and slotted seamlessly back into a squad full of emerging talent.

As one of just four players remaining from the 2014 World Cup-winning side, alongside Marlie Packer, Alex Matthews, and Natasha Hunt, 'Scaz' brings unmatched experience and composure. With the 2025 tournament on home soil, there’s every chance she could write yet another legendary chapter in an already extraordinary career.

This could well be the perfect send-off for an all-time great of the Red Roses, with Scarratt gaining plenty of experience as an on-screen TV pundit during her lengthy injury spell. Couple this with the trail-blazing 'Good, Scaz & Rugby' podcast, and Scarratt has a career established once her on-field days come to a close. Be sure to savour the moment when 'Scaz' runs out for her fifth Women's Rugby World Cup, as you will be watching a living legend make history in the iconic English rose.

There’s a quiet steel behind Zoe Aldcroft’s ever-present smile, in a player who combines grace off the field with uncompromising leadership on it. With 63 caps to her name and now firmly at the helm of the Red Roses, Aldcroft enters the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup as one of the best locks in world rugby and England’s undeniable captain.

Having taken over the armband from Marlie Packer in January 2025, Aldcroft has wasted no time in stamping her authority. She led England to the Women’s Six Nations title earlier this year and now carries the weight of national expectation into her third World Cup. Her leadership credentials are flawless, and so is her ability to step up in clutch moments. Her dramatic 80th-minute try against Canada in the 2024 WXV1 final secured the title for England, in what was a defining moment of her international career.

In her club career, Aldcroft has been equally dominant. Alongside her England teammate Natasha 'Mo' Hunt, Aldcroft co-captained Gloucester-Hartpury to three consecutive PWR league titles (2023, 2024, 2025), showcasing her ability to galvanise teams at every level. Her consistency, resilience, and tactical intelligence earned her the title of World Rugby Player of the Year in 2021, a nod to her world-class calibre across both the second and back rows.

Aldcroft’s England journey began in 2016 with a try-scoring debut against France in Salt Lake City. She rose through the U20 ranks and became one of the first players offered a full-time contract, once the women's game turned professional in 2019. Though injury kept her out of that year’s Six Nations, she returned stronger than ever for the Super Series and has been a key figure ever since.

From starring in the 2020 Six Nations to competing at the delayed 2021 World Cup and the inaugural WXV1 tournament, Aldcroft has grown into one of the most respected players in the game. With her calm authority, game-changing presence at set-piece, and unmatched work rate, Zoe Aldcroft is poised to lead England’s charge for World Cup glory on home soil.

If you’re looking for a breakout star with a bit of bite, look no further than Maddie Feaunati. The 23-year-old back row has exploded onto the international scene in 2024 and is quickly becoming one of the most exciting young players in the Red Roses setup ahead of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Nicknamed "Maddie the Baddie" – a playful nod to UFC’s Paddy Pimblett – Feaunati brings the same swagger, intensity and edge to rugby that the Scouse cage fighter brings to the octagon. She's already turning heads in England’s competitive back-row landscape, putting seasoned England internationals like Marlie Packer and Alex Matthews on notice. Feaunati is leading a new era of Red Roses onto the test stage, with her ferocious tackling and fearless ball-carrying stamping her mark on the pitch .

Born into a rugby legacy, Maddie is the daughter of Isaac Feaunati, the former Bath and Samoa number eight, who also famously played Jonah Lomu in the 2009 film Invictus. That same physical presence clearly runs in the family, as Maddie brings Pacific Island fire and New Zealand-honed technique to the Red Roses’ back row. Having been eligible for both Samoa and New Zealand, her decision to wear the rose is a major win for England, that they are already reaping the rewards from.

Feaunati made her Test debut in March 2024 against Italy during the Women’s Six Nations, and she quickly followed that with a try-scoring appearance off the bench in England’s 88–10 win over Ireland at Twickenham. The back row made five appearances in the tournament and was later called into the starting line-up against France following an injury to Sadia Kabeya.

Domestically, she’s also been making waves with Exeter Chiefs, where she and her younger sister Zara are both signed for the upcoming season. Feaunati’s rise has been meteoric, from starting the campaign as a relative unknown to now being a genuine contender for a starting shirt at a World Cup on home soil. Raw, powerful and relentless, Maddie Feaunati is one of the brightest young stars in English rugby. Expect her to make plenty of noise at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Few players in the England squad can match the spark, personality, and all-round rugby pedigree of Meg Jones. A versatile back with a larger-than-life presence, Jones is as enigmatic on the pitch as she is off it. A born entertainer with elite-level credentials across both sevens and XVs formats, at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, she’ll bring X-factor and experience to a Red Roses squad aiming to secure that global glory in front of a packed house on home soil.

Born in Wales and proudly bilingual in the native tongue, Jones grew up immersed in Welsh culture before moving to England at 16, to study at the elite rugby conveyor-belt of Hartpury College. This has created a unique family dynamic every time England faces Wales in the Six Nations. Jones' Test debut came in 2015 against New Zealand, and just two years later she was scoring England’s opening try of the 2017 Rugby World Cup in Ireland, going on to feature in both the semi-final and final.

Jones’s career has continued to straddle both the XVs and Sevens forms of the game. She was a non-playing reserve at the 2016 Rio Olympics, joined the England Sevens programme full-time in 2017, before she then starred for Team GB at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her medal cabinet also includes a bronze from the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and a 2023 European Games silver in rugby sevens.

After the pandemic disrupted the sevens setup in 2020, Jones returned to 15s and has since re-established herself as a creative force in the Red Roses backline. Whether at inside or outside centre, she brings a mix of tactical awareness, slick footwork and excellent distribution that sets her apart. She was instrumental in England’s 2023 WXV title-winning campaign in New Zealand and featured again during the 2024 Six Nations under John Mitchell.

At club level, Jones has represented Bristol, Wasps, and Leicester Tigers, and currently plays for Trailfinders Women, where her leadership and charisma continue to shine. Dynamic, confident and never dull, Meg Jones is a mood-setter in the England camp, with her play-making set to light up the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

There are few players in world rugby today who possess the all-round brilliance, flair, and pure entertainment factor of Ellie Kildunne. At just 25, she has already carved out a reputation as one of the most exciting players in the game, combining electric footwork with ruthless finishing ability and a fearless attitude that lights up every match she plays. Now, heading into her second Rugby World Cup, Kildunne is set to tear up as a genuine match-winner.

The 2024 World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year, Kildunne heads into the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in the form of her life. She collected her 50th England cap and was the top try scorer in the 2024 Six Nations, in which she bagged a dazzling solo try against Wales, and topped off the year by representing Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in rugby sevens. Like her fellow compatriot Meg Jones, Kildunne's ability to bounce between sevens and 15s highlights both her versatility and elite athleticism in such a lung-busting version of the sport.

Born in West Yorkshire, Kildunne’s rugby roots trace back to playing both rugby league and union for Keighley, often as the only girl on the pitch. She turned down football to focus on rugby, later attending Hartpury College and studying Sport and Exercise Science at St Mary's University, Twickenham. She captained Yorkshire U18s and represented England U18s in sevens before bursting onto the senior XVs stage in 2017, as she scored a try on her England debut against Canada, aged just 18.

Kildunne quickly became a fan favourite with her ability to slice through defences and make the game look easy with the ball in hand. Whether at fullback or wing, she’s a constant threat on the attacking foot and a re-occuring nightmare for the helpless defenders. Kildunne's journey includes spells at Gloucester-Hartpury, Wasps, and most prominently Harlequins, where she has become a central figure in the famous quarters of the London club.

Off the pitch, Ellie is a keen photographer and known for her creative streak – as happy behind the camera as she is scoring a try in front of it. But on the pitch, she’s one of the fiercest competitors in the game. With her blend of confidence, talent, and flair, Kildunne is set to be one of the headline acts of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.