Marlie Packer recalls a time when only a handful of supporters and a couple of dogs turned up to watch England. Four years on as the Red Roses’ longest-serving player, she has experienced the other extreme: walking off the team bus at Twickenham into a packed stadium of around 81,000 for last autumn’s World Cup final. The scale of that occasion — after a tournament that visited Sunderland, Northampton and Brighton and drew fans at every stop — convinced many new followers to buy tickets for the final and helped change public appetite for the women’s game.
Now England begin the Women’s Six Nations as reigning world champions and with ambitions that extend beyond defending the title. No side has followed a World Cup triumph with a Six Nations Grand Slam; this squad is determined to make history and be the first to do so.
The rise in crowds and TV audiences has been matched by an internal rebuild led by head coach John Mitchell, who arrived four years ago and focused as much on culture as on selection. England were already accomplished, having reached two World Cup finals in the previous cycles, but Mitchell prioritised off-field changes to elevate the group. Players say he reshaped the environment to allow them to be professional while still enjoying one another’s company, creating space for both high performance and honesty away from the pitch.
Megan Jones has taken the captaincy for this Six Nations after former skipper Zoe Stratford announced she is expecting her first child. Jones says the team resists complacency and deliberately tests the status quo rather than accepting ‘‘if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.’’ That mindset helps the squad keep evolving and keeps standards moving upward.
The group also contains fresh faces: several players are uncapped at senior level, including Christiana Balogun, Millie David, Haineala Lutui, Annabel Meta, Sarah Parry, Demelza Short and Jodie Verghese. Flanker Sadia Kabeya believes Mitchell’s culture makes it easier to blood young talent, offering a secure base from which newcomers can push themselves beyond familiar limits and still be themselves in the squad.
Packer has noticed changes off the field too. At club visits she now signs autographs for boys as readily as girls and is approached by youngsters asking how to play like her. She sees the growth in participation as one of the tournament’s lasting impacts: rugby has given her friendships and opportunities that extend well beyond the pitch, and she wants the game to feel accessible to everyone.
Kabeya stresses the wider significance of that shift: the profile growth is not only about inspiring girls and women but also about welcoming boys and men into the women’s game and broadening the fan base. Despite the squad’s professional focus, personality and camaraderie remain central. Jones says many players now see professionalism as compatible with being relaxed and authentic rather than straight-laced, and that shared individuality has helped unite the team behind the common goal of winning.
As the Six Nations opener approaches, expectations include another large crowd and further milestones. Players speak excitedly about returning to the pitch, building on the momentum from the World Cup and seeing even bigger, more passionate atmospheres across venues.
Packer, who has earned 112 caps, cautions that past success cannot be relied on. The team must keep evolving and putting its best foot forward to avoid becoming complacent. That work — on and off the field — underpins England’s bid to pair world champion status with a Six Nations Grand Slam.
England’s 2026 Women’s Six Nations fixtures: vs Ireland (Saturday April 11) — Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (2.45pm); vs Scotland (Saturday April 18) — Murrayfield, Edinburgh (1.30pm); vs Wales (Saturday April 25) — Ashton Gate, Bristol (2.15pm); vs Italy (Saturday May 9) — Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma (3pm); vs France (Sunday May 17) — Stade Atlantique, Bordeaux (5.45pm).