Head coach James Cooper has named his England U18 Women’s 36-player Training Squad for the 2024/25 campaign.
Ashton Adcock, Tamsin Baynes, Aisha Jah, Hayley Jones, Solana Shaw de Leon, Isabel van der Straaten, Jo Vosakiwaiwai and Ellie Wilson are the eight previously-capped players reintegrated into Cooper and assistant coach Oli Perry’s programme. Katherine Dyke also trained with the U19 Women ahead of the 2024 Transatlantic Quad Series.
Twenty-seven uncapped players are involved in the new squad makeup, with five U17 aged players included to increase opportunities for pitch skill development and off-field support. Seven of the nine new Player Development Group (PDG) centres are represented in the squad makeup.
The 2024/25 campaign marks the start of the new domestic pathway for U18 girls with a centralised system of nine PDG centres to enable the delivery of a talent development framework nationwide in a centrally coordinated curriculum.
Following regional and centralised camps this season, including the first U18-U23 pathway positional days in Loughborough, the U18 Women are set to convene from 20th-22nd December (Loughborough University), 10th-12th January (Loughborough University) and 14th-16th February (Bisham Abbey). Confirmation of England U18 Women’s fixtures will be announced in due course.
James Cooper said: “It gives us coaches great pleasure to unveil this incredibly exciting squad. The selection process has been one of the most challenging yet, such is the talent within our ranks currently.
“The benefit of naming the squad at this stage of the season gives us a chance to work in a more focused capacity in progressing the players’ development plans in preparation for next year’s Six Nations. As a cohort, they’ve demonstrated a high degree of dedication and persistence already this season and are worthy of their places.
“It’s crucial to emphasise there is scope for movement in and out of the group at latter stages of the year with different rates of development in our age group. Nevertheless, the staff and I want to see these players uphold our key principles of courage and self-leadership in the coming months.”
England U18 Women’s 2024/25 Training Squad (includes Player Development Group (PDG) centre, club and school)
Forwards
Tamsin Baynes (Nottinghamshire Lincolnshire Derbyshire, Market Harborough, Loughborough College) *
Chloe Butterworth (North Midlands, Worcester, Hereford Sixth Form College)
Alesia De Mello Leitao (Nottinghamshire Lincolnshire Derbyshire, Leicester Forest East, Loughborough College)
Sylvia Gallagher-Ball (Nottinghamshire Lincolnshire Derbyshire, Leicester Forest, Loughborough College)
Tizi Goss (South West, Winscombe, Clifton High School)
Martha Green (North Midlands, Tamworth, Hartpury College)
Aisha Jah (Nottinghamshire Lincolnshire Derbyshire, Mansfield, West Notts College) *
Hayley Jones (Hampshire and Berkshire, Ealing Trailfinders, Henley College) *
Grace Keel (South West, North Bristol, SGS College)
Honey Kerslake (South West, Crediton, Exeter College)
Betsy Meads (Nottinghamshire Lincolnshire Derbyshire, Newark, Loughborough College)
Libby Naughton (Hampshire and Berkshire, Chippenham, Hartpury College)
Joy Okechukwu (Kent Sussex Surrey, Havant, Peter Symonds College)
Summer Reeves (Nottinghamshire Lincolnshire Derbyshire, City of Oxford College)
Demelza Short (South West, Crediton, Blundells School)
Harli Stanton (Nottinghamshire Lincolnshire Derbyshire, Sandal, Loughborough College)
Jess Taylor (Middlesex Essex Hertfordshire, Welwyn, Oaklands College)
Isabel van der Straaten (Middlesex Essex Hertfordshire, Eton Manor, Mossbourne Community Academy) *
Maisy Wheeler (Nottinghamshire Lincolnshire Derbyshire, Old Northamptions, Loughborough College)
Ellie Wilson (North Midlands, Gosford All Blacks, Hartpury College) *
Backs
Ashton Adcock (Nottinghamshire Lincolnshire Derbyshire, Loughborough College) *
Charlotte Brookes (Kent Sussex Surrey, Guildfordians, Cranleigh)
Summer Charlesworth (Staffordshire Lancashire, Mansfield, City of Oxford College)
Isabelle Clist (South West, Cullompton, Wellington School)
Charlotte Coyle (Hampshire and Berkshire, Reading, Leighton Park)
Katherine Dyke (South West, Winscombe Warriors, Exeter College)
Josephine Harris (Hampshire and Berkshire, Chinnor, City of Oxford College)
Eva Ladyman (Nottinghamshire Lincolnshire Derbyshire, Olney, Loughborough College)
Imogen Mockford (Kent Sussex Surrey, Sevenoaks, Maidstone Grammar School for Girls)
Alice Redfern (Kent Sussex Surrey, Worthing College)
Dita Shaw (Kent Sussex Surrey, Guildfordians, Worthing College)
Solana Shaw de Leon (Kent Sussex Surrey, Sutton and Epsom, Worthing College) *
Hannah Smyth (North Midlands, Hartpury College)
Molly Symonds (Hampshire and Berkshire, Trowbridge, Stonar School Sixth Form)
Jo Vosakiwaiwai (Hampshire and Berkshire, City of Oxford College) *
Francesca Welsher (North Midlands, Winscombe, Hartpury College)
*denotes a player previously capped at U18 level for England
With thanks to the RFU
