England girls’s rugby head coach John Mitchell has referred to as on World Rugby to extend squad sizes to 33 gamers for the ladies’s Rugby World Cup and says all of the strain is on New Zealand forward of this yr’s event.
Mitchell was speaking after England secured their fourth Six Nations Grand Slam in a row after defeating France 43-42 at Twickenham on Saturday. England head into their house World Cup later this yr as favourites and Mitchell is within the remaining phases of deciding which gamers will type his 32-player squad.
However Mitchell would love these squad sizes elevated. Groups within the males’s World Cup are permitted to pick 33 gamers, however sides competing on this yr’s girls’s World Cup will solely be allowed to select 32 gamers. The rise to 33 gamers for the lads was launched forward of their 2023 World Cup in France.
As Mitchell seems to finetune his squad forward of this yr’s event, confirming he’ll take 18 forwards and 14 backs, he feels this disparity wants consideration from the game’s governing physique.
“I feel World Rugby will in all probability want to contemplate it going ahead as a result of in any other case you’ll have to attend for gamers to be flown from abroad,” Mitchell stated. “I feel it’s important to wait till the 24-hours flight rule or no matter it’s as a result of the abroad groups must wait to carry their gamers in. I feel 33 appears to be the proper quantity, like [in] the lads’s recreation.”
England are favourites to raise their first World Cup title since 2014 once they compete later this yr. They’re on a exceptional 25-match successful run and have received 55 of their final 56 matches. Their final defeat got here within the 2022 World Cup remaining, the place they misplaced to New Zealand.
The Black Ferns have received the previous two World Cups, successful each finals towards England. New Zealand’s possibilities have obtained a great addition prior to now week with the information Rugby World Cup all-time try-scorer Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has come out of retirement with a view to creating their squad forward of this yr’s event. And regardless of England’s unimaginable run, Mitchell says all of the strain is on New Zealand.
“We’re specializing in [England’s pool opponents] USA, Samoa and Australia,” Mitchell stated. “Then Wales, Scotland and France once more in a semifinal. If all issues go to plan they [New Zealand] shall be on the opposite facet. We’ll cope with that if we earn the proper however I feel New Zealand are on for a three-peat in World Cups so there may be in all probability extra strain on them to win a World Cup than us.”
