Squads confirmed for England positional camps

The England Rugby Women’s Pathway have announced two groups for the opening positional camp of the 2025/26 season.  

Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre will host the camp for the U18 to U23 age-grades from this Friday (17th), aiming to increase understanding of the requirements of their specific positions in the senior professional environment.  

England U20 Women’s head coach LJ Lewis and England U18 Women’s head coach James Cooper will be joined by 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup winning coaches Sarah Hunter, Nathan Catt, Louis Deacon and Lou Meadows across the weekend. The core coaching group will be joined by other coaches from across the wider pathway and consultants focusing on specific areas of the game. 

Bespoke programmes for the respective 37 forwards and 28 backs centre around positional skill refinement including breakdown, set-piece, kicking and passing. These will all be aligned to the key identified game moments outlined in the pathway curriculum. 

Following this week’s meeting, Cooper and Oli Perry’s U18 Women’s team will reconvene at Loughborough University on 7th November for the first meeting of a wider emerging England player group. 

LJ Lewis said: “Heading into a fresh campaign, we’re incredibly excited and motivated after an historic summer by our Red Roses. 

“As a pathway, we want to maximise our players’ technical understanding of their positional demands, with this weekend a crucial touchpoint in their development and opportunity for players to take ownership over their own journey. 

“Our purpose across the weekend is to increase the understanding of positional and unit skillsets and demands for our best pathway talent. We are excited to have the Red Roses coaches across the camp to help players gain a deeper understanding of the unique physical, tactical, and technical requirements of their specific positions.” 

Charlie Hayter, RFU Head of Women’s Performance, said: “The Women’s Pathway is committed to inspiring and equipping players to grow as world-leading rugby players for future generations.  

“This camp is a stepping stone in building on the legacy of the Red Roses’ success last month, providing young players with high-calibre, detailed coaching that will benefit the players and our system in the short and long-term.  

“Whether it’s their first or one of many pathway camps, we encourage the invited players to seize the camp as a quality learning opportunity and engage in various elements across the weekend.” 

England Rugby Women’s Pathway forwards positional camp squad (includes club or PDG site and school/college) 

• Jasmine Adonri (Trailfinders) 
• Kacey Andrews (Emma Mitchell PDG)  
• Holly Bagnowiec (Jo Yapp PDG, Hartpury College)  
• Lukcyana Baleisolomone (Maggie Alphonsi PDG, Oaklands College)  
• Tamsin Baynes (Loughborough Lightning) 
• Joia Bennett (Saracens) 
• Gabriella Brown (Trailfinders) 
• Grace Clifford (Loughborough Lightning) 
• Kayhne Farimo (Karen Almond PDG, Bishop Burton College)  
• Chloe Flanagan (Saracens) 
• Hannah Foley (Maggie Alphonsi PDG, City of Oxford College)  
• Zara Green (Harlequins) 
• Haidee Head (Trailfinders) 
• Elizabeth Hirons (Nolli Waterman PDG, Exeter College)  
• Rose Hooper (Nolli Waterman PDG, Exeter College)  
• Darcy Howchin (Jo Yapp PDG, Hartpury College)  
• Aisha Jah (Bristol Bears) 
• Hayley Jones (Trailfinders) 
• Grace Keel (Nolli Waterman PDG, SGS) 
• Honey Kerslake (Nolli Waterman PDG, Exeter College)  
• Olivia Lloyd (Jo Yapp PDG, Hartpury College)  
• Freya McGinley (Trailfinders) 
• Sophie McQueen (Gloucester-Hartpury) 
• Alesia de Mello Leitao (Becky Essex PDG, Loughborough College)
• Aisla Merryweather (Surrey University) 
• Annabel Meta (Trailfinders) 
• Maddy Page (Harlequins) 
• Heidi Pashaei-Tarighoun (Bristol Bears) 
• Lilly Plowman (Exeter Chiefs) 
• Ruby Ross (Becky Essex PDG, Oaklands College)  
• Demelza Short (Bristol Bears) 
• Saffiya Smaili (Emma Mitchell PDG, Hartpury College)  
• Isabel van der Straaten (Bristol Bears) 
• Jodie Verghese (Saracens) 
• Ruby West (Emma Mitchell PDG, City of Oxford College)  
• Amelia Williams (Loughborough Lightning) 
• Ruby Winstanley (Harlequins) 
• *denotes U18 player 

England Rugby Women’s Pathway backs positional camp squad (includes club or PDG site and school/college) 

• Ashton Adcock (Loughborough Lightning) 
• Isla Apiafi (Hartpury College)  
• Reneeqa Bonner (Bristol Bears) 
• Charlotte Brookes (Rachael Burford PDG, Cranleigh School)  
• Molly Bunker (Gloucester-Hartpury) 
• Ella Cromack (Harlequins) 
• Millie David (Bristol Bears) 
• Isabel Fortune Davis (Karen Almond PDG, The Sheffield College)  
• Elizabeth Duffy (Sale Sharks) 
• Izzy Firth (Nolli Waterman PDG, Exeter College)  
• Alice Fleming (Jo Yapp PDG, Hartpury College)  
• Maddie Flutey (Exeter Chiefs) 
• Beth Hall (Nolli Waterman PDG, Exeter College)  
• Megan Howells (Jo Yapp PDG, CIty of Oxford College)  
• Millie Hyett (Gloucester-Hartpury) 
• Jemma Jo-Linkins (Saracens) 
• Sereana Matebalavu (Nolli Waterman PDG, Millfield School)  
• Amelia MacDougall (Saracens) 
• Carmela Morrall (Loughborough Lightning) 
• Lavinia Natui (Becky Essex PDG, Oaklands College)  
• Sarah Parry (Harlequins) 
• Tilly Pulfer (Exeter University) 
• Dita Shaw (Rachael Burford PDG, Worthing College)  
• Solana Shaw de Leon (Harlequins) 
• Summer Smith (Maggie Alphonsi PDG, City of Oxford College)  
• Hannah Smyth (Gloucester-Hartpury) 
• Molly Symonds (Emma Mitchell PDG, Trowbridge)  
• Eva Wood (Sale Sharks) 
• *denotes U18 player