2026 WXV Global Series preview: England's Red Roses

The WXV Global Series starts tomorrow and England are one of the top 12 nations in the world undertaking matches in the competition this autumn.

The competition has been revamped and there is no trophy to be won. But there are more games with home and away matches for each team.

The Red Roses start their campaign on Saturday 12 September, but who will they play? And what are the biggest tests they will face? Everything you need to know is below.

Recent form

The Red Roses have played five games so far in 2026 and they have won all of them. Those games took place in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations and they cumulatively won them by a margin of 283-104.

Despite several injuries and pregnancies with stars like Hannah Botterman, Zoe Stratford and Mo Hunt all ruled out, England had one of their most dominant attacking campaigns in recent years.

England blew the cobwebs out against Ireland with the performance not complete. Ireland raised a few questions but the Red Roses managed to get the win over the line. After that match they crushed every other opposition. It started with a massive 84-7 victory over Scotland and they followed it up with a huge scoreline against Wales and Italy.

Some had questioned whether they would be able to overcome rivals France with a depleted squad away from home. France were also in good form. But England proved any doubter wrong. While they didn’t have it all their own way, England ended up steering the ship over the line and silenced the French crowd.

The Red Roses were the first team ever to win a Women’s Six Nations after a Women’s Rugby World Cup victory. So, how is their form? Pretty good.

Biggest Tests

England will play in six fixtures but they only have four opponents. That is because they are playing Canada three times, once in England and twice in Canada.

The Red Roses’ home fixtures are first and are all happening in September. England will first play Australia on 12 September, Canada on 19 September and New Zealand on 26 September. Their game against the Black Ferns will be played at Allianz Stadium and 50,000 tickets have already been sold.

In October, England will travel. First for two games against Canada before travelling to New York for a match against the USA.

Arguably their toughest test will be when they face their Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 final opponents in Canada away from home. They will not only have to contend with a tricky opponent but they will have the challenges of being away from home with the added pressure of travel.

But whether that will rattle John Mitchell’s side is not the biggest question that will be asked of England. That will be: can they keep winning? This will be the headline question for the Red Roses until they lose a game. They are currently on a 38-match consecutive win streak with a Rugby World Cup won in that time.

Another area which fans will question is England’s defence. Italy, Wales and France all picked up a try bonus-points in the Women’s Six Nations with the former two scoring the most points they ever have against England. While the Red Roses’ own attack meant they closed out those games with big wins, their defence needs to be just as accurate.

Star Players

Meg Jones – The Trailfinders Women centre is arguably the best player in the world right now. She has always been key to the Red Roses but she proved her weight in gold at the recent Women’s Six Nations. The 29-year-old was the linchpin that connected England’s attack and she was also the spark when the team needed a jolt in the right direction. Not only is she rapid, accurate and unpredictable but her leadership traits as captain have also shone since she took on the captaincy earlier this year.

One of the most recent examples of the Cardiff-born star taking a game by the scruff of the neck was England’s Women’s Six Nations win against Wales. Her tries that day were impressive and one was voted the best try of the championship. So England’s opposition know if they want to keep the Red Roses quiet, they have to contain the talent of Jones.

Ellie Kildunne – The BBC Sports Personality of the Year runner-up has produced some of England’s most famous moments over the past few years. She is the player that electrifies the crowd as soon as she gets her hands on the ball. One of the best tries she ever scored was against Canada in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final where she evaded multiple defenders to kickstart England’s win last September.

Her role was adapted slightly in the Six Nations with her moving to the wing often but her best position is at full-back. The Bristol Bears back may not always be consistent across the pitch but fans can always rely on her for a gobsmacking moment of brilliance.

Amy Cokayne – When the injuries predominantly hit the forward pack earlier this year, Cokayne was the rock that held the set-piece together. The hooker has a trusted pair of hands and it is not just at set piece where she impresses. Her metres over the gainline, tries and even kicks are highlights of her game. In her club Sale Sharks’ final JAECOO Premiership Women’s Rugby game of the season she executed a perfect 50:22, so she really is a player of all trades.

Cokayne has been in the leadership group for a while but she is also now the official vice-captain. It added more gravitas to the new players coming through earlier this year and even more of a role model to follow into battle. Cokayne is probably England’s most reliable star and she will set out to prove that once again in the upcoming tournament.

Prediction

England’s winning streak will continue and they will come out the other side of WXV Global Series with 44 successive victories under their belt.

They may face some more challenges when they visit Canada but Kévin Rouet’s team do not have as much time together over the year as England and the world champions will find a way to win.

If anything, these next two months may make England even stronger as they will become accustomed to playing away from home more with long travel added in. If they were to lose, the opposition would have to play a perfect game and it doesn’t seem possible at the moment.