Can the Red Roses get this World Cup year off to a Grand Slam start?: England Red Roses Six Nations Team Guide
The reigning champions are looking to extend a 20-match winning run as the Red Roses enter a massive Women’s World Cup year
Women’s Six Nations: Six Nations history
England are the most dominant force in Women’s Six Nations championship history, winning the title 15 out of the 23 times, including 13 Grand Slams, writes Jess Hayden. They’ve won the last six editions and extending that to seven would match their longest Six Nations winning streak (2006-2012).
Their consistent success and dominance over the years, winning 89% of their Six Nations games, has established them as the benchmark for women’s rugby globally.
Their biggest Test every Six Nations is against France but in 2024 England beat them twice – 42-21 in the Six Nations and 38-19 in a WXV warm-up. In the 2024 Six Nations, England scored double the tries (44) of runners-up France (22) and they comfortably top the leaderboards in almost all areas of the game.
Women’s Six Nations: Form guide
The Red Roses are on a 20-match winning streak, their last loss coming in the 2022 World Cup final against the Black Ferns. In that time, they’ve won two Grand Slams and two WXV1 titles, beating world champions New Zealand on three occasions and achieving a record points rating of 97.56 in the world rankings.
Under John Mitchell, their playing style has become more expansive – something the coach credits to his players feeling more freedom on the pitch. There is room for improvement, however. England’s goalkicking is inconsistent (a 56.8% rate at the 2024 Six Nations, the second worst of any team) and the team’s set-piece dominance has slipped a little.
Read more: All you need to know about the Women’s Six Nations
England have world-class players in nearly every position and the depth and strength to stress and stretch teams for the full 80 minutes. They’re using this Six Nations as a chance to build towards their home World Cup, which they are heavy favourites to win.
Mitchell has signalled his intentions to experiment in this Six Nations with his team selection for the opening match against Italy at a sold-out LNER Community Stadium in York.
Lock Lilli Ives Campion and wing Mia Venner will each win their second cap while Flo Robinson (Exeter Chiefs) and Jade Shekells (Gloucester-Hartpury) are in line for their Test debuts off the bench.
Gloucester-Hartpury’s Mia Venner’s only previous cap came as a 20-year-old in 2020 (CameraSport/Getty)
Women’s Six Nations: Key players
Zoe Aldcroft, the new Red Roses captain, leads by example. A former World Rugby Player of the Year, she is a strong ball-carrying lock and world-class at the set-piece. Her work-rate is also exceptional, taking the most lineouts (21) at last year’s Six Nations and coming fourth in the tackle charts, making 72 over the course of the tournament.
Aldcroft will play at six for the opening match against Italy because of a rejig caused by Alex Matthews’s suspension.
Read more: How to watch the Women’s Six Nations
Ellie Kildunne, the 2024 Player of the Tournament and World Rugby Player of the Year, is a classic Test-match animal. The Quins full-back topped the rankings last year for line breaks (13), metres gained (676) and tries scored (nine).
She starts the championship on the bench, allowing Gloucester-Hartpury’s Emma Sing – the PWR’s top points-scorer – to earn a well-deserved seventh cap.
Women’s Six Nations: Ones to watch
Meg Jones is one of the most exciting players in the Six Nations, with ten years’ experience in an England or Team GB shirt. She had a phenomenal 2024 but is returning from injury and a heartbreaking year in which she has lost both her parents. On the pitch, she is a talismanic and creative midfielder in an area of immense strength for England.
Maddie Feaunati, the 22-year-old Exeter back-row, made her debut against Italy in last year’s Six Nations and is already a standout for England.
The daughter of ex-Samoa No 8 Isaac Feaunati, she is very athletic, so watch out for her quick-stepping defenders or powering straight through them.
Women’s Six Nations: The coach
New Zealander John Mitchell joined the Red Roses ahead of WXV 2023, making an eyebrow-raising move into the women’s game after stints with the New Zealand, USA and England men’s teams. The real test of his tenure is the World Cup later this year, but for now he couldn’t have done any better. He’s yet to lose a game and has developed a new playing style that incorporates more of the backs and makes the team less predictable to watch.
He’s not had long in the hot seat but is already making big calls – including changing his captain from Marlie Packer to Zoe Aldcroft.
“I love a person who is consistent with their actions. Zoe’s the kind of leader we need,” he explains.
Mitchell says he will use this Six Nations to cement the team selections for the World Cup. So look out for who he picks against France as an indication of what he sees as his strongest XV.
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