John Mitchell has confirmed his 32-player Red Roses squad that will compete at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup on home soil.

With less than a month until his team host the USA Women’s Eagles at the Stadium of Light on Friday 22 August, the New Zealander has named a settled squad looking to end an 11-year wait to be world champions again.

Before the World Cup gets underway, the Red Roses will play Spain at Welford Road on Saturday 2 August before they travel to France a week later.

Read more: “I don’t believe in holding people to ransom, there will be no bolters”: England’s Red Roses World Cup squad unlikely to include new faces as John Mitchell opts for continuity

Aldcroft to lead her country at home

Less than eight months after she was confirmed as Red Roses captain, Zoe Aldcroft will lead her country at a home Rugby World Cup.

The 28-year-old former World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year took on the mantel from Saracens back-row Marlie Packer, who will serve as a vice-captain to her fellow forward.

Packer is one of four players that remain from England’s 2014 Rugby World Cup success. Alex Matthews, Mo Hunt and Emily Scarratt were all key figures in that campaign and will lend that experience to the Red Roses once again.

Reigning World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year, Ellie Kildunne, has recovered from the hamstring that kept her out of the conclusion of England’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam to take her place in the squad too.

Hunt’s eight-year wait ends

Three years ago Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt was a high-profile omission from Simon Middleton’s squad for New Zealand.

A World Cup winner in 2014, the scrum-half tried to evade the tournament as England fell short at the final hurdle against the Black Ferns at Eden Park.

Natasha Hunt of England speaks to the media in a press conference during the England Red Roses Women’s Rugby World Cup Squad Announcement at the Allianz Stadium on July 24, 2025 in London, England

She did return to international rugby the following spring, but it was only when Mitchell joined the setup at the conclusion of the 2023 Rugby World Cup that the 36-year-old became a regular fixture for her country again.

Coming into this tournament Hunt is seemingly in the form of her life after she helped Gloucester Hartpury to a third PWR title in a row earlier this year.

Five star Scarratt

Emily Scarratt will play at a record-equalling fifth World Cup this summer.

The 35-year-old first took part in the tournament 15 years ago, also in England, when the Red Roses finished as runners-up to New Zealand at the Twickenham Stoop.

Four years later and it was elation for the Loughborough lightning stalwart, who kicked her country to success in Paris against Canada.

It is a feat that will draw her alongside New Zealand’s Anna Richards, Fiao’o Fa’amausili, Scotland’s Donna Kennedy, Canada’s Gillian Florence and the USA’s Patty Jervey.

Whether or not Scarratt was ever going to play rugby again was a matter of debate as she spent 13 months recovering from a neck injury.

Finally making her return in a 33-17 loss to Bristol Bears in February 2024, her experience will go a long way to England’s hopes of being crowned world champions on home soil this September.

Eight players gain maiden World Cup experience

Among a squad of vastly experienced players there are a handful of Mitchell’s side that will be experiencing World Cup rugby for the very first time.

Maddie Feaunati has been the find of the World Cup cycle. The 22-year-old moved to Exeter Chiefs from New Zealand just two years ago and soon found herself playing Test match rugby thanks to a string of dominant PWR performances.

Both Emma Sing and May Campbell have already brought their strong domestic form for Gloucester Hartpury and Saracens to the tournament. Sing has been the top points-scorer in PWR for the past two years, while Campbell dotted down 17 times last season.

Canada-born Mackenzie Carson is included in the squad two years on from transferring her allegiance to England through the World Rugby birth-right riled.

Saracens Kelsey Clifford, Loughborough’s Lilli Ives Campion, Gloucester Hartpury’s Olympian Jade Shekells and Trailfinders Women’s Abi Burton round out the first-time World Cup.

Full squad

Forwards (18)

Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester Hartpury, 63 caps)
Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears, 66 caps)
Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 71 caps)
Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears, 56 caps)
Abi Burton (Trailfinders Women, 2 caps)
May Campbell (Saracens, 3 caps)
Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester Hartpury, 21 caps)
Kelsey Clifford (Saracens, 13 caps)
Amy Cokayne (Sale Sharks, 83 caps)
Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs, 15 caps)
Rosie Galligan (Saracens, 24 caps)
Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning, 2 caps)
Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning, 21 caps)
Alex Matthews (Gloucester Hartpury, 75 caps)
Maud Muir (Gloucester Hartpury, 40 caps)
Marlie Packer (Saracens, 110 caps)
Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks, 22 caps)
Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 74 caps)

Backs (14)

Holly Aitchison (Sale Sharks, 40 caps)
Jess Breach (Saracens, 45 caps)
Abby Dow (Unattached, 52 caps)
Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 57 caps)
Tatyana Heard (Gloucester Hartpury, 29 caps)
Natasha Hunt (Gloucester Hartpury, 80 caps)
Megan Jones (Trailfinders Women, 25 caps)
Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 52 caps)
Claudia Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs, 35 caps)
Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 31 caps)
Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 39 caps)
Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning, 118 caps)
Jade Shekells (Gloucester Hartpury, 2 caps)
Emma Sing (Gloucester Hartpury, 8 caps)

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