Venner starts for England five years after winning first cap

Mia Venner will make her full England debut against Italy in York on Sunday, five years after she won her first cap, as a replacement against Wales.

Gloucester-Hartpury winger Venner is one of two players set to start a Test for the first time, alongside Loughborough Lightning lock and former England U20 captain Lilli Ives Campion.

Seven players, including Venner, have been picked to start at a sold-out York Community Stadium who also appeared in Sunday’s Premiership Women’s Rugby final.

Champions Gloucester-Hartpury are also represented in John Mitchell’s line-up by full-back Emma Sing, tighthead prop Maud Muir and captain Zoe Aldcroft. Loosehead Kelsey Clifford, lock Rosie Galligan and vice-captain Marlie Packer were part of the Saracens side beaten on home soil.

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Womens Six Nations

England Women

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Italy Women

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Sing and Exeter Chiefs winger Claudia MacDonald will both line up in the England back three and are set to make their first Test appearances for 16 months.

Helena Rowland, meanwhile, has been selected to make a first Test start at fly-half for three years. As a result, Holly Aitchison will wear the No.12 jersey.

Elsewhere, Exeter Chiefs scrum-half Flo Robinson and Great Britain Sevens star Jade Shekells will win their first caps if called upon from the replacements’ bench.

Shekells has spent most of this season with Great Britain, making only three PWR appearances for Gloucester-Hartpury, but Mitchell is said to feel she fits the mould he is looking for at 12.

Red Roses team to play Italy
15 Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury, 6 caps)
14 Mia Venner (Gloucester-Hartpury, 1 cap)
13 Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning, 116 caps)
12 Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears, 35 caps)
11 Claudia MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs, 32 caps)
10 Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 34 caps)
9 Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 26 caps)
1 Kelsey Clifford (Saracens, 9 caps)
2 Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers, 79 caps)
3 Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 35 caps)
4 Rosie Galligan (Saracens, 19 caps)
5 Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning, 1 cap)
6 Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 58 caps) – captain
7 Marlie Packer (Saracens, 108 caps)
8 Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs, 10 caps)

Replacements
16 May Campbell (Saracens, 1 cap)
17 Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears, 51 caps)
18 Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 66 caps)
19 Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 69 caps)
20 Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning, 18 caps)
21 Flo Robinson (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
22 Jade Shekells (Gloucester-Hartpury, uncapped)
23 Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 48 caps)