Matthews eager to ‘step it up a gear’ in Roses return

Alex Matthews is hoping to make her return from injury for the Red Roses in the WXV Global Series tournament this autumn.

After suffering shoulder damage during England’s match against Ireland in the Six Nations, Matthews underwent surgery and a vigorous rehabilitation plan to get back to fitness.

“The off-season was hard because I was at club doing rehab the whole time,” Matthews says. “I had some long days where I didn’t leave the gym until 10pm.”

Now officially signed off to return to contact, Matthews is set on earning her place in the Red Roses squad during this tournament to mark her 83rd cap.

“I’m looking forward to stepping it up a gear. There’s a great rivalry in our upcoming test matches, so we want to go harder and see what they’ve got up their sleeve.”

The Red Roses will face Canada at Sandy Park this weekend, their second test match in the WXV Global Series. This fixture comes off the back of a 48-15 win against Australia, where the World Champions fought back after trailing at half-time.

“Having spoken to the girls, they felt clunky during the Australia game,” she explains. “But they still had the confidence and faith that it was going to come through.”

Saturday’s match is a repeat of the 2026 Women’s Rugby World Cup, which saw England beat Canada 33-13 at Allianz Stadium to lift the trophy. Though, the team are under no illusion that it will be easy.

“The World Cup final was unbelievable, but that is in the past. We’re looking ahead now and know these matches are against the toughest oppositions, but it’s what we want to do.

“The game is growing, and we want to play these hard matches.”

Red Roves v Canada at Sandy Park is officially sold out, but will be broadcast live for fans to watch on BBC iPlayer under ‘Women’s Rugby Union: WXV Global Series’.

After her injury, the Gloucester Hartpury back-row missed the chance to feature in the subsequent Six Nations games, and 3 JAECOO PWR games, including a semi-final.

“My focus for this season is to consistently play. I’ve struggled with injury since the World Cup, so I just want to be fit and get decent game time. I’m really excited to get back to club.”

During the international fixtures, her club side will begin their PWR JAECOO Next Gen Cup campaign. Their first match comes against Harlequins on Saturday 19th September at Twickenham Stoop.

“The Next Gen Cup is huge. It can sometimes be hard to break into the first-team squad at club level, so this gives them the opportunity to play and get their foot in the door.

“We’ve lost a lot of experience in the Gloucester squad, but I’m genuinely excited for the young girls to come in and start something new and fresh.”

Tickets for Gloucester Hartpury’s clash in the JAECOO Next Gen Cup are available here.