England Rugby World Cup squad 2025: The players nailed on and who could miss out

Telegraph

27-04-2025

England came through a nerve-jangling Test against France at Twickenham to successfully defend their Women's Six Nations Grand Slam crown with a 43-42 win.
In what was the match of the championship, the Red Roses survived a late fightback from a spirited France outfit and the occasion marked the last time John Mitchell's side will play at the national stadium before a potential World Cup final later this year.
'We worked out that after today 95 per cent of the girls that are likely to go to the World Cup have all had experience of playing in the stadium,' said Mitchell, who is expected to name his 32-player squad at the end of July. 'Now we've got a chance to enjoy ourselves on a break and come back and earn the right to contest here again.'
After a campaign that saw fresh faces and new combinations, Telegraph Spor t assesses which Red Roses have already secured their place in the World Cup squad, who is putting their hand up for selection and those who could miss out.
Nailed-on certainties
Holly Aitchison, Zoe Aldcroft, Lark Atkin-Davies, Sarah Bern, Hannah Botterman, Amy Cokayne, Abby Dow, Maddie Feaunati, Zoe Harrison, Tatyana Heard, Natasha Hunt, Megan Jones, Ellie Kildunne, Claudia MacDonald, Alex Matthews, Maud Muir, Lucy Packer, Morwenna Talling, Abbie Ward.
Everyone in this group except Maddie Feaunati has been involved in at least one World Cup before, and at a home tournament that experience will be crucial. They have also been pillars of consistency in the Red Roses squad for some time. England's forward pack might have been a bit off-colour against France but led by the peerless Zoe Aldcroft, they remain an indomitable force. Mackenzie Carson would be in this group were it not for the loosehead's Achilles injury, which could present an opportunity for someone else. Winger Claudia MacDonald has impressed the most given she missed the entirety of last year with a career-threatening neck injury and has spent this Six Nations making up for lost time. The fly-half debate will no doubt continue rumbling but after a successful championship and big-match performance against France, Zoe Harrison looks primed for the role.
Putting their hand up
Jess Breach, Abi Burton, May Campbell, Mackenzie Carson, Kelsey Clifford, Rosie Galligan, Sadia Kabeya, Helena Rowland, Jade Shekells, Emma Sing.
These are the in-betweeners. Abi Burton squeezed the most into her limited match-day minutes but she is yet to elevate herself to starter status within England's pack. May Campbell is a serious operator and you have to feel for her given the stern competition at No 2, but she has edged ahead of Connie Powell in the hooker hierarchy.
The most surprising candidate in this group is Sadia Kabeya, whose rise has been meteoric in this World Cup cycle, but she missed out entirely against France. The openside flanker is still banking minutes after a stop-start domestic season because of injury and the expectation is that she will be safe. After an injury-disrupted year, Jess Breach will fight for her place on the wing, having being overtaken by MacDonald. Meanwhile, Jade Shekells is still relatively new to the XVs environment and has technical aspects to work on.
In danger of missing out
Sarah Beckett, Georgia Brock, Lizzie Hanlon, Lilli Ives Campion, Charlotte Fray, Marlie Packer, Connie Powell, Flo Robinson, Emily Scarratt, Mia Venner, Ella Wyrwas.
With the domestic season already done and dusted, these individuals have limited opportunities to make their case with the World Cup moving ever closer. England will take on Spain and France in two warm-up matches in early August and both will be a chance for periphery players to stake their claim for selection.
Marlie Packer is probably the biggest talking point as her sharp descent has been dramatic. England's former captain featured just twice in the Six Nations and while she might be a calming presence and a bona-fide leader, she was left out entirely against France. There are also question marks over Emily Scarratt, England's heroine from the 2014 World Cup win and for so long a poster girl for the women's game. Despite her impeccable skill set, Scarratt not the pacey player she once was.
Sarah Beckett 's and Lizzie Hanlon 's non-involvement would suggest they have a lot of catching up to do, while Georgia Brock and Lilli Ives Campion have a gargantuan task to upset a back row that is already well established. You can never say never with someone like Mia Venner, but her reintroduction to Test rugby after such a strong domestic season might have come too late.