With the 2019 Women’s Six Nations around the corner, England have unveiled their Elite Player Squad and head coach Simon Middleton is excited about the ongoing professionalisation of the women’s game.
28 full-time XVs contracts have been handed out in the 35-woman squad for the 2019 season as well as seven additional players on EPS agreements who will come into camps and England training but not the full-time programme.
Core experienced stars like Sarah Hunter and Katy Daley-Mclean will lead the group that also includes six new faces in the EPS.
These new starlets included Sarah Beckett, Carys Williams and Tatyana Heard who caught the eye this autumn – while the uncapped Bryony Cleall also gets her first call-up.
Last month also saw the announcement that Natasha Hunt and Emily Scarratt – both World Cup winners with the Red Roses back in 2014 – have returned from the Sevens set-up alongside Jess Breach.
And with England – runners-up in last year’s Women’s Six Nations – kicking off their campaign in Ireland next month, Middleton is feeling optimistic.
“Congratulations to all those selected, every player has worked hard to rightly earn their place. As a player and management group, our immediate focus is very much on the Six Nations and the continued development of what is a still a very new squad of players.
“The introduction of full-time contracts will take time to embed but will unquestionably help us to accelerate the development process. This is a huge opportunity and we recognise the expectation that comes with the investment. It is now down to us as a management and playing group to meet those expectations.”
The squad comes together this week at its new base Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre for January testing, before three days of training get underway ahead of the 2019 Women’s Six Nations which kicks off against Ireland in Dublin on Friday 1 February.
RFU Head of Women’s Performance Nicky Ponsford added: “At England Rugby we want to be driving standards in women’s rugby through everything we do. Full-time contracts help to ensure we have the access to players to develop them and allow them and fulfil their potential.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the clubs in developing this group of players and continuing to grow the Tyrrells Premier 15s at a domestic level.”
The RFU launched the Tyrrells Premier 15s in 2017 which saw the union invest £2.4 million in the new women’s domestic XVs competition with the aim to improve standards of the women’s game, as well as increase the talent pool available for selection for England in the future. England Women Elite Player Squad 2019 Forwards Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury Womens RFC) Sarah Beckett (Firwood Waterloo Ladies) Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears Women) Hannah Botterman (Saracens Women) Jo Brown (Loughborough Lightning) Rowena Burnfield (Richmond FC)* Shaunagh Brown (Harlequins Ladies) Bryony Cleall (Saracens Women)* Poppy Cleall (Saracens Women) Amy Cokayne (Wasps FC Ladies)* Vickii Cornborough (Harlequins Ladies) Lark Davies (Worcester Valkyries) Vicky Fleetwood (Saracens Women) Sarah Hunter (Loughborough Lightning) Justine Lucas (Loughborough Lightning) Cath O’ Donnell (Loughborough Lightning) Marlie Packer (Saracens Women) Ellena Perry (Saracens Women)* Abbie Scott (Harlequins Ladies) Backs Jess Breach (Harlequins Ladies) Rachael Burford (Harlequins Ladies) Katy Daley-Mclean (Loughborough Lightning) Abby Dow (Wasps FC Ladies)* Zoe Harrison (Saracens Women) Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury Womens RFC) Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury Womens RFC) Claudia Macdonald (Wasps FC Ladies)* Sarah McKenna (Saracens Women) Leanne Riley (Harlequins Ladies) Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning) Emily Scott (Harlequins Ladies)* Kelly Smith (Gloucester-Hartpury Womens RFC) Lydia Thompson (Worcester Valkyries) Lagi Tuima (Bristol Bears Women) Carys Williams (Loughborough Lightning) * Denotes EPS agreement player
