England Women’s Elite squad (EPS) for 2011/12 season named

For the forthcoming season the RFUW has implemented changes to the England Women’s Elite Programme to help build towards the success of the England Women’s XVs and Sevens programmes.  The EPS, which has been selected through the traditional England Trial process, including the RFUW Divisional Programme and the new England Sevens Open Trials, includes two new players in the XVs squad and a squad of nine sevens players. A number of other EPS athletes will also support the Sevens Programme.

By changing the focus of the EPS the RFUW will be able to deliver a more enhanced programme which will see more position specific coaching in both XVs and Sevens and longer international camp time. This will also allow the RFUW to strengthen the delivery of the Divisional Programme.

New to the EPS this season is Lichfield No. 8 Harriet Millar-Mills and Bristol’s Amber Reed, who both played for England U20s this season. In the Sevens squad Jennifer Brightmore, Hannah Field, Sonia Green, Rose Jay, Charlotte Keane, Ruth Laybourne, Lydia Thompson and Charlotte Wild move into the elite squad.

“This is an exciting squad of players and we are really pleased with the standard of talent we have got in this squad,” said the RFUW’s Head of Performance Nicola Ponsford. “We have a great mix of experience, with several world cup players still involved, while we have some exciting young talent with a number of athletes graduating from the England U20s squad and the RFUW Divisional Programme.”

The England Elite XVs squad will compete in a strengthened international programme which will see them compete in not only the RBS 6 Nations but more regular and competitive fixtures against their European and Southern Hemisphere rivals throughout the season. The England Sevens team will prepare for a rigorous programme this summer, up to and including the European Championship 7s in July.

Ponsford added: “The global landscape for rugby is changing. We are in very exciting times that should see women’s rugby go from strength to strength whilst also continuing to build upon the successes of the 2010 Rugby World Cup

“The inclusion of Sevens within the programme represents the first step in a new direction.  The RFUW is finalising the longer term Sevens strategy in conjunction with the RFU and alongside the IRB Sevens strategy. This initial step with open trials and the inclusion of some players within the 44 allows us to develop and test the processes that we need to put in place going forward.”

England Elite Squad

(Head Coach Gary Street, Assistant Coach Graham Smith)

ClaireAllan   (Richmond)   (Centre)

Margaret        Alphonsi        (Saracens)    (Flanker)

Rowena         Burnfield       (Richmond)   (2nd Row)

Rochelle        Clark   (Worcester)    (Prop)

Emma            Croker           (Richmond)   (Hooker)

Rebecca        Essex(Richmond)   (2nd Row)

Heather          Fisher(Worcester) (Flanker)

Victoria           Fleetwood     (Lichfield) (Hooker)

Sophie           Hemming      (Bristol) (Prop)

Natasha         Hunt   (Lichfield) (Scrum Half)

SarahHunter            (Lichfield) (Flanker)

Laura  Keates            (Worcester) (Prop)

Jane   Leonard         (Wasps)         (Flanker)

La Toya          Mason            (Wasps)         (Scrum Half)

Francesca     Matthews       (Richmond)   (Wing)

Joanna          McGilchrist    (Wasps)         (2nd Row)

SarahMcKenna       Old Albanians          (Fly Half)

Katy    McLean          Darlington Mowden Park Sharks  (Fly Half)

Katherine      Merchant       (Worcester)    (Wing)

Harriet            Millar-Mills     (Lichfield)      (No 8)

Isabelle          Noel-Smith    (Bristol) (Flanker)

Kimberley      Oliver  (Bristol)          (Fly Half)

MarliePacker            (Bristol)          (Flanker)

Fiona  Pocock           (Richmond)   (Full Back)

ClairePurdy(Wasps)         (Prop)

Amber            Reed  (Bristol)          (Centre)

Alice   Richardson   (Richmond)   (Centre)

Georgina       Roberts          (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks)           (Centre)

Georgina       Rozario          (Lichfield)      (Scrum Half)

Emily  Scarratt          (Lichfield)      (Centre)

Tamara          Taylor(Darlington Mowden Park Sharks)           (2nd Row)

Amy    Turner            (Richmond)  (Hooker)

Danielle         Waterman     (Worcester)    (Full Back)

Kay     Wilson            (Richmond)   (Full Back)

England 7s Squad

(Head Coach Barry Maddocks, Assistant Coach Susie Appleby)

Jennifer         Brightmore    Worcester     

Hannah         Field   Wasps           

SoniaGreen  Saracens

Rose   Jay      Lichfield

Charlotte        Keane            Worcester     

Ruth   Laybourne     Leodiensians           

Michaela        Staniford        Wasps           

Lydia  Thompson     Worcester     

Charlotte        Wild    Lichfield