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Women's Six Nations

Red Roses release first team sheet as world champions for Six Nations opener

Lucy Lomax

45 days ago

Zoe Aldcroft and Megan Jones of England of England lift the Women's Rugby World Cup trophy following victory in the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 Final match between Canada and England at Allianz Stadium on September 27, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

The Red Roses return to action for the first time as world champions with Ireland providing the opposition for their Women’s Six Nations opener at Allianz Stadium- their first match under Megan Jones’ captaincy.

Jones has been selected at outside centre with vice captains Amy Cokayne and Alex Matthews starting at hooker and number eight respectively.

Lock Lilli Ives Campion and flanker Maddie Feaunati are selected with props Kelsey Clifford and Sarah Bern taking their place in the front row.

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Captain Jones is partnered by Helena Rowland in the midfield with Lucy Packer named at scrum-half and Holly Aitchison preferred at fly-half to Zoe Harrison who has to settle for a place on the bench.

Ellie Kildunne, Jess Breach and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald make up the back three, with Moloney-MacDonald achieving a rare start for the world champions with space made due to the retirement of Abby Dow.

Among the replacements, Haineala Lutui is in line for her Red Roses debut with Connie Powell, Mackenzie Carson, Maud Muir, Abi Burton, Natasha Hunt, Harrison and Emma Sing making up the rest of the bench.

World Cup winners Zoe Stratford, Lark Atkin-Davies, Abbie Ward and Rosie Galligan are all unavailable due to pregnancy.

The RFU has announced a tournament record crowd of over 75,000 will be in attendance. Read our full 2026 Women’s Six Nations preview here.

England match day team v Ireland:

15 Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 57 caps)
14 Jess Breach (Saracens, 53 caps)
13 Megan Jones (Trailfinders Women, 33 caps) – captain
12 Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 46 caps)
11 Claudia Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs, 36 caps)
10 Holly Aitchison (Sale Sharks, 44 caps)
9 Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 38 caps)

1 Kelsey Clifford (Saracens, 21 caps)
2 Amy Cokayne (Sale Sharks, 89 caps)
3 Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 79 caps)
4 Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks, 28 caps)
5 Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning, 5 caps)
6 Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs, 23 caps)
7 Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning, 28 caps)
8 Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, 81 caps)

Replacements

16 Connie Powell (Harlequins, 19 caps)
17 Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury, 23 caps)
18 Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 48 caps)
19 Haineala Lutui (Loughborough Lightning, uncapped)
20 Abi Burton (Trailfinders Women, 4 caps)
21 Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury, 88 caps)
22 Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 65 caps)
23 Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury, 13 caps)

Comments

2 Comments

Courtney20 45 days ago

Great to see Connie Powell back, I don’t think she did a lot wrong when representing England, you are never going to leapfrog Cokayne and Atkin-Davies

BC1812 45 days ago

The surprise to me is that Sing gets a place on the bench. She is an out and out old fashioned full back, no better than the No3 full back behind Kildunne and Rowland. Offers nowhere near the same attacking threat so would also probably be behind Breach and Aitcheson as full back. With Kildunne, Rowland, Breach and Aitcheson on the pitch, why is she there? She can’t really play anywhere else in an international team. Millie David would be a much better bet.

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