The England Women Elite Player Squad (EPS) and England Women Under 20s squad for the 2014-2015 season have been announced today.
The newly expanded 52-woman EPS sees 16 new players called up although eight of these players have already starred for England in either XVs or Sevens, including Sasha Acheson, Zoe Saynor and Hannah Field.
There are also several graduates from the England U20s programme in the EPS, including former captains Bianca Blackburn and Victoria Cornborough as well as Amy Cokayne who last season moved back to England after six years of playing in New Zealand in the NPC.
England Head Coach Gary Street said: “Inevitably after a World Cup, a new cycle begins and we now face the challenge of preparing for and defending our World Cup title in three years’ time.
“We have approximately 28 games between now and then and that is a short turnaround so we are investing in a crop of exciting young players. We learned this year that experience is vital to win a World Cup so it is paramount that we put into the future now as we look ahead to 2017 and 2021.”
The EPS will this season compete in the IRB’s extended six-leg Sevens World Series, which kicks off in Dubai in December, and the Six Nations championship which runs alongside the men’s tournament in February.
Street added: “With the XVs and the Sevens series running concurrently at times this season we need ensure we get the balance right. After our World Cup win this season promises to be very exciting and we are keen to sustain our success.”
In the England U20s squad there is also a raft of changes, with 19 new players coming into the 26-woman squad. There is also a new coaching set-up with former England captain Jo Yapp taking over the Head Coach reins and RFU Talent Divisional Officer Kevin Moggridge coming in as Assistant Coach.
The England U20s will play France home and away in February and March and will also contest an international summer tour.
England Women EPS 2014-2015
*Sasha Acheson (Bristol, prop)
Claire Allan (Richmond, centre)
*Bianca Blackburn (Worcester, scrum half)
Emily Braund (Lichfield, Second row)
Natasha Brennan (Richmond, wing)
*Abbie Brown (Bristol, centre)
Rachael Burford (Thurrock, centre)
Rowena Burnfield (Richmond, second row)
Abigail Chamberlain (Richmond, centre)
Rochelle Clark (Worcester, prop)
*Amy Cokayne (Lichfield, hooker)
*Victoria Cornborough (Richmond, prop)
Emma Croker (Richmond, hooker)
Megan Ellery (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, centre)
*Hannah Field (Richmond, flanker)
Heather Fisher (Thurrock, flanker)
Victoria Fleetwood (Saracens, hooker)
Hannah Gallagher (Saracens, flanker)
*Sydney Gregson (Bristol, wing)
Natasha Hunt (Lichfield, scrum half)
Sarah Hunter (Lichfield, Number 8)
*Megan Jones (Hartpury College, fly half)
Laura Keates (Worcester, prop)
*Heather Kerr (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, prop)
Ceri Large (Worcester, fly half)
Ruth Laybourn (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, wing)
Justine Lucas (Lichfield, prop)
La Toya Mason (Wasps, scrum half)
*Katie Mason (Bristol, full back)
Alexandra Matthews (Richmond, flanker)
Francesca Matthews (Richmond, centre)
Sarah McKenna (Saracens, fly half)
Katy McLean (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, fly half)
Harriet Millar-Mills (Waterloo, Number 8)
Marlie Packer (Wasps, flanker)
Amber Reed (Bristol, centre)
*Alice Richardson (Richmond, centre)
Leanne Riley (Saracens, centre/full back)
*Zoe Saynor (Richmond, second row)
Emily Scarratt (Lichfield, centre)
Emily Scott (Thurrock, fly half)
*Abbie Scott (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, second row)
Michaela Staniford (Wasps, wing)
Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, second row)
Lydia Thompson (Worcester, wing)
*Katie Turnbull (Lichfield, Number 8)
Sally Tuson (Saracens, wing)
Danielle Waterman (Bristol, full back)
*Joanne Watmore (Richmond, centre)
Kay Wilson (Thurrock, wing)
Amy Wilson-Hardy (Bristol, centre)
*Lucie Wood (Bristol, flanker)
England Women U20s Squad (Name, Club, CB, Division, Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence College)
*Zoe Aldcroft (West Park Leeds, Yorkshire, North Hartpury College)
*Sarah Bern (Esher, Surrey, London & South East, Hartpury College)
*Courtney Bishop (Bristol, Somerset, South West)
Henri Burkinshaw ( Lichfield, Yorkshire, North)
*May Campbell (Bristol, South West)
*Lotte Clapp (Saracens, London & South East)
*Vicci Cogger (Lichfield, Hertfordshire, London & South East)
Lark Davies (Worcester, North Midlands, Midlands)
*Ruth Dow (Wasps, Berkshire, South West)
*Lottie Holland (Plymouth Albion, Devon, South West)
Devon Holt (Bristol, Berkshire, South West)
*Olivia Jones (Bristol, Oxfordshire, South West)
*Rachel Lund (Worcester, Yorkshire, Midlands)
Caity Mattinson (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, Gloucestershire, North)
Sarah Nicholas (Lichfield, Midlands)
Becky Noon (Lichfield, Staffordshire, Midlands)
*Lucy Nye (Lichfield, Devon, South West)
*Cath O’Donnell (Waterloo, Cumbria, North)
Abi Parsons (Bristol, Berkshire, South West)
*Jade Shekells (Worcester, North Midlands, Midlands, Hartpury College)
*Laura Tolley (Aylesford Bulls, Kent, London & South East)
*Katie Trevarthan (Camp Hill, Midlands, NLD)
*Tilly Vaughan-Fowler (Bristol, South West)
*Abi Walker (Worcester, South West)
*Amy Wigley (Lichfield, North Midlands, Midlands)
*Millie Wood (Worcester, Gloucestershire, South West)
*Denotes new squad member
