World Cup-winning prop ruled out of Red Roses' home WXV fixtures

Women’s Rugby World Cup-winning prop Kelsey Clifford has been ruled out of the Red Roses’ home WXV Global Series fixtures.

The 24-year-old Saracens prop will miss Test matches against Australia, Canada and New Zealand’s Black Ferns in September with a hamstring injury.

Clifford will remain as part of the Red Roses training squad with a view to returning for the team’s two matches against Canada and the fixture against the USA Women’s Eagles in October.

She has been replaced in John Mitchell’s WXV Global Series squad by her club teammate Liz Crake. Crake, 31, was recalled to the Red Roses earlier this year as injuries to Hannah Botterman and Clifford meant that loosehead prop stocks were low ahead of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam decider against France in May.

Clifford was a key figure at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 as England ended their 11 year wait for a world title.

With Bristol Bears’ Botterman suffering from a back injury at the tournament, Clifford stepped up for the Red Roses and scored five tries in six appearances – including a brace against Scotland in the quarter-final.

For the Red Roses’ opening match of the WXV Global Series Test-window, Mitchell has named Mackenzie Carson as the starting loosehead prop, with Botterman named among the replacements.

It will be Botterman’s first time on the pitch since December 2025 after an ankle injury that required surgery kept her off the turf.

At this year’s Women’s Six Nations, England faced an injury and absences crisis that they never had before.

Lark Atkin-Davies, Rosie Galligan, Zoe Stratford and Abbie Ward were missing with pregnancies, while Tatyana Heard, Natasha Hunt, Morwenna Talling and Alex Matthews were all injured.

As a result, Mitchell recalled Crake and lock forward Delaney Burns to the international fold. Bears lock Burns started in Tests against Wales, Italy and France, and has been named to start this weekend against the Wallaroos in Salford.