Seven uncapped players in new-era Red Roses squad
· BBC SportBy
Mike Henson
BBC Sport rugby union news reporter
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England's 38-strong Women's Six Nations squad contains seven uncapped prospects as head coach John Mitchell builds on September's Rugby World Cup win.
Mitchell is missing a host of names from his run to the world title, with usual skipper Zoe Stratford and Abbie Ward both pregnant and Emily Scarratt and Abby Dow having retired from playing.
Bristol wing Millie David, who finished joint top of the Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) try-scoring charts last season and is the highest-ranked English-qualified back in those standings this campaign, is one of those in the squad awaiting their first cap.
Gloucester-Hartpury's Mia Venner and Loughborough Lightning's Bo Westcombe-Evans, both with two previous appearances for England, are other inexperienced wing options.
With Rosie Galligan and Cath O'Donnell missing for personal reasons and Stratford and Ward unavailable, Mitchell has promoted Bristol duo Demelza Short and Christiana Balogun, both of whom also can play in the back row, and Saracens' Jodie Verghese to fill out his second-row stocks.
Lilli Ives Campion, who had limited game time at the Rugby World Cup, is most likely to step up to partner Morwenna Talling at lock.
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Loughborough Lightning number eight Haineala Lutui, daughter of former Tonga, Worcester and Gloucester hooker Aleki, is rewarded for her fine form.
Despite Loughborough's indifferent season, Lutui leads the PWR standings in carries and metres in contact.
Trailfinders Annabel Meta is included after switching to loosehead prop from the back row this season. The 20-year-old only made her front-line front-row debut in December.
Harlequins' exciting Welsh-born centre Sarah Parry completes the uncapped septet.
England begin their Women's Six Nations defence at home to Ireland on 11 April - a game for which more than 67,000 tickets have already been sold, all but guaranteeing an improvement on the existing tournament record crowd of 58,498 set against France in 2023.
"As Red Roses, what comes next is a fresh start," said Mitchell, who signed a new contract through to the end of the 2029 Rugby World Cup in January.
"The Six Nations is hugely important to us, and we know success in this competition has to be earned every time.
"We're excited by the energy the younger players will bring into the squad, and alongside our experienced players.
"What is important to me is to stay open-minded about player combinations, and I will observe how people compete against each other and deal with that type of pressure.
"It's just down to who is going to take the handbrake off, attack it, and expresses themselves in our game."
While centre Jade Shekells and scrum-half Ella Wyrwas are left out of Mitchell's initial selection with hamstring and knee injuries respectively, both might yet make a return before the end of the tournament.
England squad for Women's Six Nations
Forwards: Christiana Balogun (Bristol Bears), Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears), Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears), Abi Burton (Trailfinders Women), May Campbell (Saracens), Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury), Kelsey Clifford (Saracens), Amy Cokayne (Sale Sharks, vice captain), Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs), Liz Hanlon (Harlequins), Daisy Hibbert-Jones (Loughborough Lightning), Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning), Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning), Haineala Lutui (Loughborough Lightning), Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, vice captain), Annabel Meta (Trailfinders Women), Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury), Marlie Packer (Saracens), Connie Powell (Harlequins), Demelza Short (Bristol Bears), Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks), Jodie Verghese (Saracens)
Backs: Holly Aitchison (Sale Sharks), Jess Breach (Saracens), Millie David (Bristol Bears), Zoe Harrison (Saracens), Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury), Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury), Megan Jones (Trailfinders Women, captain), Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins), Claudia Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Lucy Packer (Harlequins), Sarah Parry (Harlequins), Flo Robinson (Exeter Chiefs), Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning), Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury), Mia Venner (Gloucester-Hartpury), Bo Westcombe-Evans (Loughborough Lightning)