England Women have named their match-day 23 ahead of their first game in the Women’s Rugby Super Series against Canada.
Lichfield centre Millie Wood will start and gain her first senior England cap while Worcester prop Laura Keates will be looking to come off the bench to gain her 50th. With 661 caps in total, including 524 in the starting XV, England field an experienced squad for this first of three games in the Super Series.
The match kicks off at 10pm BST on Friday night at the Regional Athletic Complex, Salt Lake City.
All teams have spent the week training at the University of Utah ahead of their games.
Lead coach Scott Bemand said: “The team have acclimatised well in Utah since arriving. The heat is an obvious factor to get used to but it is the same for everyone out here.
“We are looking forward to getting the first game underway. Canada will provide us with some tough opposition, as will France and the USA next week, but that is what we came for and what we need if we are going to develop and improve as a side.”
England and Canada played each other in last year’s Super Series, with England narrowly securing a 14-15 victory at Ellersie Park in Edmonton, Canada. England next face France on Tuesday 5 July, before playing USA on Saturday 9 July.
England Women games, Women’s Rugby Super Series, KO times 10.00pm BST, and all games broadcast live on TheRugbyChannel.TV
Canada v England 1 July
England v France 5 July
England v USA 9 July
England Women match-day 23 v Canada
15. Katie Mason (Bristol) (10 caps)
14. Lydia Thompson (Worcester) (22 caps)
13. Millie Wood (Lichfield) (uncapped)
12. Ceri Large (Worcester) (47 caps)
11. Lotte Clapp (Saracens) (7 caps)
10. Amber Reed (Bristol) (29 caps)
9. La Toya Mason (Darlington Mowden Park) (54 caps)
1. Rochelle Clark (Worcester) (110 caps)
2. Amy Cokayne (Lichfield) (13 caps)
3. Victoria Cornborough (Richmond) (14 caps)
4. Courtney Gill (Worcester) (1 cap)
5. Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park) (91 caps)
6. Harriet Millar-Mills (Lichfield) (31 caps)
7. Izzy Noel-Smith (Bristol) (17 caps)
8. Sarah Hunter (Bristol) (78 caps) (c)
16. Lark Davies (Worcester) (1 cap)
17. Heather Kerr (Darlington Mowden Park) (6 caps)
18. Laura Keates (Worcester) (49 caps)
19. Alex Matthews (Richmond) (21 caps)
20. Poppy Leitch (Bristol) (3 caps)
21. Bianca Blackburn (Worcester) (13 caps)
22. Lauren Cattell (Saracens) (18 caps)
23. Fiona Pocock (Richmond) (26 caps)
Report courtesy of England Rugby
