Rugby-England women bank on experience for home World Cup bid
LONDON, - England coach John Mitchell has named a vastly experienced squad for the Women's Rugby World Cup on home soil starting next month as the hot favourites aim to underline their dominance of the sport with the prize that so agonisingly eluded them in 2022.
The squad of 32 boasts a combined 1,374 international caps, with 24 players who have previously competed at a World Cup.
Zoe Aldcroft will captain her country in her third World Cup, supported by 2014 winner Marlie Packer and Olympian Megan Jones as vice captains. Emily Scarratt, with 118 caps to her name, is set to compete in her fifth tournament with Alex Matthews and Packer in line for their fourth.
Abi Burton, May Campbell, Mackenzie Carson, Kelsey Clifford, Maddie Feaunati, Lilli Ives Campion, Jade Shekells and Emma Sing are all World Cup debutants.
Scrumhalf Natasha Hunt was included, three years after her shock omission from the 2022 squad.
England are odds-on favourites for the competition on the back of an extraordinary run of 50 wins in 51 games with one defeat. Unfortunately for them that "one" was the incredible 2022 World Cup final when New Zealand snatched a last-minute England lineout - having not contested one all match - as England sought a match-winning try having eschewed a kick at goal that would have tied the scores.
That was the sixth time they have lost in the final - five to New Zealand - with their two wins coming in 1994 and 2014.
Their last defeat in any match before the 2022 final was also to New Zealand in 2019.
After a warm-up match against Spain in Leicester on August 2, England get the tournament underway against the United States under the lights in Sunderland on Friday, .
The September 27 final at Twickenham has long been an 82,000 sellout.
England squad for Women's Rugby World Cup Forwards Zoe Aldcroft ** Lark Atkin-Davies * Sarah Bern ** Hannah Botterman * Abi Burton May Campbell Mackenzie Carson Kelsey Clifford Amy Cokayne ** Maddie Feaunati Rosie Galligan * Lilli Ives Campion Sadia Kabeya * Alex Matthews *** Maud Muir * Marlie Packer *** Morwenna Talling * Abbie Ward ** Backs Holly Aitchison * Jess Breach * Abby Dow * Zoe Harrison ** Tatyana Heard * Natasha Hunt ** Megan Jones * Ellie Kildunne * Claudia Moloney-MacDonald * Lucy Packer * Helena Rowland * Emily Scarratt **** Jade Shekells Emma Sing *denotes number of Women's Rugby World Cup tournaments played
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