Seven uncapped players named in England’s 38-player squad for the record-breaking Guinness Women’s Six Nations
Published 20/03/2026 at 10:52 GMT
England head coach John Mitchell named seven uncapped players in the squad for the upcoming Guinness Women's Six Nations. The squad includes a balance between youth and experience, with those seven untested players called up into a group which also has 25 World Cup winners in it. The Red Roses are seeking to continue their excellent recent form after winning the Women's Rugby World Cup last year.
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England have named seven uncapped players in their squad for the upcoming Guinness Women's Six Nations after announcing their 38-player squad on Thursday.
Head coach John Mitchell has called up a squad balanced between youth and experience. It includes 1,143 international caps and 25 Rugby World Cup winners, but also seven untested players at senior international level.
Those uncapped players are Christiana Balogun, Millie David, Haineala Lutui, Annabel Meta, Sarah Parry, Demelza Short and Jodie Verghese.
”It’s great to be back together, ready to earn the right again following the Rugby World Cup,” Mitchell said. ”As Red Roses, what comes next is a fresh start. The Six Nations is hugely important to us, and we know success in this competition has to be earned every time.
”We’re excited by the energy the younger players will bring into the squad, and alongside our experienced players. What is important to me is to stay open-minded about player combinations and I will observe how people compete against each other and deal with that type of pressure.
”It’s just down to who is going to take the handbrake off, attack it, and expresses themselves in our game.”
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England will be led by Megan Jones who was named captain by Mitchell, with regular skipper Zoe Stratford missing after recently announcing she is expecting her first child.
Their squad is made up of 22 forwards and 16 backs. While there is a sense of freshness within England’s team, there is still space for experienced veterans such as Marlie Packer, Amy Cokayne, Alex Matthews and Natasha Hunt.
The Red Roses are seeking to continue their formidable form after winning the Rugby World Cup in September last year.
Off the back of their success on home soil at the World Cup, there has been an increased demand for tickets for this year’s Women’s Six Nations.
England’s opening game against Ireland at the Allianz Stadium has already broken the record for the highest ticket sales for a match at the tournament, with 67,000 sold already. For the first time in history, the stadium’s top tier will be open for a Women's Six Nations match.
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Their game against Wales at Ashton Gate in Bristol will also break attendance records for a Red Roses fixture away from Twickenham.
”The impact of the tournament across the country has been outstanding, and it’s reflected in the incredible ticket sales - not just for our matches at Allianz Stadium and Ashton Gate, but across the Six Nations as a whole,” Mitchell added.
The Women’s Six Nations begins with France hosting Italy on Saturday, April 11.
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