Seven Uncapped Players in England's Women's Six Nations Squad
Sarah Parry (left) and Millie David (right) are among seven uncapped players included in England's squad for the Women's Six Nations.
England's 38-player squad for the Women's Six Nations features seven uncapped players as head coach John Mitchell continues to build on the momentum from September's Rugby World Cup victory.
Mitchell's squad sees the absence of several key figures from the World Cup-winning team. Regular captain Zoe Stratford and Abbie Ward are both unavailable due to pregnancy, while Emily Scarratt and Abby Dow have retired from international rugby.
Bristol Bears wing Millie David, who finished joint top of the Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) try-scoring charts last season and currently ranks as the highest English-qualified back in this campaign's standings, is among the uncapped players awaiting their first cap.
Other relatively inexperienced wing options include Gloucester-Hartpury's Mia Venner and Loughborough Lightning's Bo Westcombe-Evans, both of whom have two previous England appearances.
With Rosie Galligan and Cath O'Donnell absent for personal reasons, and Stratford and Ward unavailable, Mitchell has promoted Bristol Bears duo Demelza Short and Christiana Balogun, both capable of playing in the back row, along with Saracens' Jodie Verghese to strengthen the second-row options.
Lilli Ives Campion, who had limited game time during the Rugby World Cup, is expected to partner Morwenna Talling at lock.
Leadership and Player Updates
Megan Jones will captain the Red Roses in the absence of Zoe Stratford.
Stratford recently announced her pregnancy, confirming her unavailability for the tournament.
Loughborough Lightning number eight Haineala Lutui, daughter of former Tonga, Worcester, and Gloucester hooker Aleki Lutui, has been rewarded for her strong form this season.
Despite Loughborough's inconsistent campaign, Lutui leads the PWR statistics in carries and metres gained in contact.
Trailfinders' Annabel Meta is included in the squad after transitioning from back row to loosehead prop this season. The 20-year-old made her front-line front-row debut in December.
Harlequins' promising Welsh-born centre Sarah Parry completes the group of seven uncapped players.
England will begin their Women's Six Nations title defence at home against Ireland on 11 April. Over 67,000 tickets have already been sold for this match, almost guaranteeing a new tournament attendance record, surpassing the previous high of 58,498 set during the 2023 game against France.
"As Red Roses, what comes next is a fresh start," said Mitchell, who signed a contract extension through to the end of the 2029 Rugby World Cup in January.
"The Six Nations is hugely important to us, and we know success in this competition has to be earned every time.
"We're excited by the energy the younger players will bring into the squad, and alongside our experienced players.
"What is important to me is to stay open-minded about player combinations, and I will observe how people compete against each other and deal with that type of pressure.
"It's just down to who is going to take the handbrake off, attack it, and express themselves in our game."
Centre Jade Shekells and scrum-half Ella Wyrwas are not included in the initial squad due to hamstring and knee injuries, respectively, but both may return before the tournament concludes.
Christiana Balogun, who resumed her playing career after being diagnosed with cancer in 2022, was part of an England training squad last year but has yet to make her full international debut.
England Squad for Women's Six Nations
Forwards:
Christiana Balogun (Bristol Bears), Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 79 caps), Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears), Abi Burton (Trailfinders Women), May Campbell (Saracens), Mackenzie Carson (Saracens), Kelsey Clifford (Saracens), Amy Cokayne (Sale Sharks, vice captain), Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs), Liz Hanlon (Harlequins), Daisy Hibbert-Jones (Loughborough Lightning), Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning), Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning), Haineala Lutui (Loughborough Lightning), Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, vice captain), Annabel Meta (Trailfinders Women), Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury), Marlie Packer (Saracens), Connie Powell (Harlequins), Demelza Short (Bristol Bears), Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks), Jodie Verghese (Saracens, uncapped)
Backs:
Holly Aitchison (Sale Sharks), Jess Breach (Saracens), Millie David (Bristol Bears), Zoe Harrison (Saracens), Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury), Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury), Megan Jones (Trailfinders Women, captain), Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins), Claudia Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Lucy Packer (Harlequins), Sarah Parry (Harlequins), Flo Robinson (Exeter Chiefs), Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning), Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury), Mia Venner (Gloucester-Hartpury), Bo Westcombe-Evans (Loughborough Lightning)
