Red Roses head coach John Mitchell has ruled out any last-minute bolters earning selection for England at the Women’s World Cup this summer.

England overcame a scare against France to defend their Six Nations title and secure a sixth-consecutive Grand Slam. The Red Roses enter the tournament as overwhelming favourites with huge competition for places within the squad.

And although still three months from the opening game against USA on 22 August, Mitchell does not believe we will see any new players manage to break into the established squad and that some within the set-up could also miss out.

“I’m very mindful that a lot of these girls will have dreamt of playing in a home World Cup so there will already be some girls that are disappointed because they won’t make it and we need to be honest about that so that we do not create unfair expectations,” Mitchell told Rugby World.

“We will take a 18/14 split which is 32 players which allows us to train effectively. It gives us two teams. We are very close to (knowing) that team and we know who is our wider squad as well. Again, it will be clear to the wider group when they come in why they are there.

“I don’t believe in holding people to ransom and not letting them know where they fit. But if they can be ready and prepared, they can replace someone through injury or sickness but there will be no bolters or anything like that.”

Read more: All you need to know about the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup

England managed to come through the Six Nations with relative ease despite also trialling a few new players, like centre Jade Shekells and full-back Emma Sing, and adjusting player positions with captain Zoe Aldcroft, normally a lock, playing throughout the tournament in the back-row

These trials developed new combinations for the Red Roses, something Mitchell is keen to establish and commit to before the tournament begins in August.

“I wouldn’t call my selection in the Six Nations experiments,” Mitchell added. “I planned it. What I needed to do was find out more about some players when they are under pressure and that tournament gave me that feedback.

“If you look at the Sage insights and data, I thought we were outstanding in our set piece during the Six Nations so having Zoe Aldcroft in the back-row, a tall six, is a huge advantage. 

“Cohesion will be a main priority of mine going into the World Cup. Looking at the depth we have, there will not be a lot of mixing. One combination might get, if they’re lucky, one or two games and the rest will play the majority of the Tests. Once I decide on what those combinations are, they will be pretty set in stone for the tournament. People in one position are also probably in more jeopardy [for selection] than those with versatility.” 

England will begin their hunt for a first World Cup since 2017 in the opening game of the tournament against the USA in Sunderland on Friday 22 August. The final will take place on Saturday 27 September at Twickenham Stadium.

• John Mitchell joined Sage to discuss innovation & data in rugby. Discover more rugby insights and how Sage can support your business at https://sage.com/rugby

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