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Maddie Feaunati, Liz Crake awarded full-time England contracts
Exeter Chiefs flanker Maddie Feaunati and Trailfinders Women prop Liz Crake have both earned full-time England contracts for the 2024-25 season.
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On Monday, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) confirmed the 32 Red Roses who will be part of the contracted group next season.
Feaunati has made the cut having emerged as a key player for John Mitchell during England’s Grand Slam-winning Women’s Six Nations 2024 campaign.
The Chiefs forward, who also qualified for New Zealand before committing to the Red Roses, made her Test debut off the bench against Italy in March and was subsequently used as a replacement in each of England’s Championship matches.
Crake has so far won two caps for the Red Roses, both of which came as a replacement during the 2023 Six Nations.
Meanwhile, Lizzie Hanlon – who made her England debut against Ireland in April – Steph Else and the Red Roses’ youngest-ever Test player, Mia Venner have been added to the list of eight players on transition contracts.
These contracts support aspiring Red Roses in their early professional journey, and safeguard some of their week for dedicated rugby development.
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Head of Women’s Performance, Charlie Hayter, said: “This Red Roses group is extremely competitive, and the standards continue to go from strength to strength, as evidenced in this year’s Six Nations.
“Everyone involved in the programme is dedicated and committed to the journey that lies ahead, and striving towards a common purpose of growing the game in this country and contest the right to be successful at next year’s home Rugby World Cup.
“Before then, the immediate focus is on best preparing ourselves for our September fixtures against world class opposition in France and New Zealand, before heading to WXV 1 in Canada.”
Red Roses head coach, John Mitchell, added: “We trust each other and our style of rugby, and have belief our game is working for us.
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“There is still a lot of room for growth in us and we have taken a lot of learning from our last Test match against France to move us forward.
“We are focused and determined to climb again and take our game to another level.”
England Women contracts:
Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears)
Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears)
Sarah Beckett (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears)
Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears)
Jess Breach (Saracens)
Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Kelsey Clifford (Saracens)
Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers)
Liz Crake (Trailfinders Women)
Abby Dow (Trailfinders Women)
Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs)
Rosie Galligan (Saracens)
Zoe Harrison (Saracens)
Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Megan Jones (Leicester Tigers)
Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning)
Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins)
Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Claudia MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs)
Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Cath O’Donnell (Loughborough Lightning)
Lucy Packer (Harlequins)
Marlie Packer (Saracens)
Connie Powell (Harlequins)
Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning)
Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning)
Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks)
Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears)
Ella Wyrwas (Saracens)
Transition contracts:
Maisy Allen (Exeter Chiefs)
Katie Buchanan (Exeter Chiefs)
Grace Clifford (Loughborough Lightning)
Steph Else (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Lizzie Hanlon (Exeter Chiefs)
Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning)
Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs)
Mia Venner (Gloucester-Hartpury)
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Main surprise for me is Mia Venner, a pretty flakey winger, There must be 4 or 5 better wingers than her including Sing, nominally a fullback, who gets no contract.