The England captain will reach her Test century during the opening weekend of the Women's Six Nations
Marlie Packer of England celebrates with the trophy after the TikTok Women's Six Nations match between England and France at Twickenham Stadium on April 29, 2023 (Getty Images)
Marlie Packer will earn her 100th England cap when the Red Roses begin their Women’s Six Nations campaign against Italy on Sunday.
The England captain and flanker made her debut in 2008 and is set to become the seventh women to reach a century of appearances when she leads her country out at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma.
Packer, who also plays for club side Saracens, has scored 43 tries to date during her international career, which places her seventh on the all-time list.
Ahead of her landmark appearance, head coach John Mitchell paid tribute to the 34-year-old.
“Talking to Marlie about her journey, she has had to overcome adversity since her Test debut in 2008,” he said.
“What has been evident since I first met her is her determination to succeed has been ingrained in her over the past 16 years, helping her achieve she has in the game.
England are defending the Grand Slam they won last year and are going for a sixth straight Six Nations crown.
They have been boosted by the returns of fly-half Zoe Harrison, centre Emily Scarratt and lock Abbie Ward, who haven’t featured for the Red Roses since the 2022 World Cup final defeat to New Zealand.