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| England announce squad for Women's Rugby World Cup 2010 |
England Women's Head Coach Gary Street has today (Tuesday) named the squad which he hopes can win the Women's Rugby World Cup 2010 (WRWC) on home soil this summer.
With just over three months to go until the world's best 12 teams in women's rugby descend on Surrey Sports Park in Guildford and the Twickenham Stoop, home of Harlequins, Street has named an experienced line-up which boasts over 700 caps.
Bristol No. 8 Catherine Spencer, who led England to a fifth successive RBS 6 Nations title and victory over world champions New Zealand this season, will captain England in her second world cup campaign.
Saracens hooker Amy Garnett is the most experienced player of the 26-woman squad with 86 caps under her belt and three rugby world cups behind her. Margaret Alphonsi, Charlotte Barras, Rachael Burford, Tamara Taylor, Amy Turner and Danielle Waterman will also feature in their second successive world cup campaigns.
Lichfield's Emily Scarratt is England's youngest squad member at just 20-years-old, but having scored 16 tries in 18 games, including clinching two Six Nations medals, Scarratt clearly has a mature head on young shoulders.
Street, whose side are ranked second for the WRWC, said: "This squad is the culmination of three years of planning. I believe we have selected an experienced, skilful and adaptable squad who can do the job at the very highest level. There are also some quality players who have not made the final cut, and who would almost certainly be in other international world cup squads, so to come up with this squad has been a challenging and difficult task but one that we are confident with."
The WRWC kick-off on August 20th, when England open their campaign against home nation rivals Ireland at Surrey Sports Park, before pool games against Kazakhstan and the USA. The semis and final take place on September 1st and 5th at the Twickenham Stoop.
Street added: "The squad has now been announced, and now we really start upping our momentum. The players are coming to the end of their rest periods, so will soon be working hard on their strength and conditioning, before our world cup camps starts. This is a really exciting period."
For WRWC 2010 tickets visit: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/WomensRugbyWorldCup or telephone: 0844 844 2010 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0844 844 2010 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. To follow England in the WRWC visit www.rfu.com. For more information on WRWC 2010 visit www.rwcwomens.com
England WRWC 2010 squad
Claire Allan Richmond
Margaret Alphonsi Saracens
Charlotte Barras Saracens
Sarah Beale Lichfield
Rachael Burford Richmond
Rochelle Clark Team Northumbria
Rosemarie Crowley Lichfield
Rebecca Essex Richmond
Heather Fisher Worcester
Amy Garnett Saracens
Sophie Hemming Bristol
Sarah Hunter Lichfield
Emma Layland Richmond
La Toya Mason Wasps
Joanna McGilchrist Wasps
Katy McLean (VC) Darlington Mowden Park Sharks
Katherine Merchant Worcester
Amber Penrith Worcester
Fiona Pocock Richmond
Claire Purdy Wasps
Alice Richardson Richmond
Emily Scarratt Lichfield
Catherine Spencer (C) Bristol
Tamara Taylor Darlington Mowden Park Sharks
Amy Turner Richmond
Danielle Waterman Worcester
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