John Mitchell has named a 32-player Red Roses squad for the WXV Global Series tour of North America, with four Sale Sharks Women players included as England prepare for three Tests in Canada and the USA this October.
The selection continues a busy period for the Red Roses after their recent win over Australia at the Salford Community Stadium, where Holly Aitchison marked her 50th cap. For Sale Sharks Women, it is further recognition of the work being done at club level, with the group also continuing their involvement in the JAECOO PWR Next Gen Cup.
Four Sale Sharks Women players in the squad
The headline from the squad announcement is the presence of four Sale Sharks Women players in Mitchell’s travelling party. The full group includes Amy Cokayne, Morwenna Talling, Holly Aitchison and Tatyana Heard, underlining the club’s growing influence within the England set-up.
That matters because this is not a large touring party. A 32-player squad leaves little room for passengers, and selection for a trip of this kind suggests Mitchell is looking for players who can handle a demanding schedule and adapt quickly in different environments.
Mitchell said the tour offers an opportunity to build on recent experiences against top opposition, pointing to the two Tests against Canada and New Zealand as a useful reference point. He described those matches as closely fought contests that helped shape England’s development, and stressed that playing quality opposition under pressure is part of how the squad improves.
Why the North America tour matters
The Red Roses will play Canada in Toronto on Friday 16 October before facing them again in Ottawa a week later. The tour then finishes against the USA in New Jersey on Friday 30 October.
Those dates matter because the tour gives Mitchell a chance to test combinations away from home, where togetherness and clarity of role are often just as important as individual quality. That is especially true in a squad with several contenders pushing for minutes across the back line and the forward pack.
Mitchell said the travelling players have a “great opportunity” to strengthen their connections as a group and that England will need to raise their level by adapting under pressure. He also said the squad is excited to continue its rivalry with Canada in Toronto.
For Sale Sharks Women, the selection is another sign that their players are firmly in the conversation at Test level. For England, the bigger picture is simple: these three Tests are a chance to sharpen the squad before the autumn moves on again, with the next domestic marker coming when Gloucester Hartpury visit Manchester on 21st November at the Morson Stadium.
