Red Roses Rugby Team

Red Roses Rugby Union Team

Red Roses Rugby Team History

The England Women's rugby team known as the the Red Roses, played their first international against their Welsh counterparts in 1987, winning 22-4. 

The Women's Rugby Football Union was founded in 1983 to govern the women's game. This organisation evolved into the Rugby Football Union for Women from 1994 until women's rugby was incorporated into the Rugby Football Union in 2014.

The Red Roses have played their home matches at various grounds in England including most recently Ashton Gate, Bristol and Welford Road, Leicester. In 2023, they will headlining Twickenham Stadium for the first time when they take on France in the TikiTok Women's Six Nations. 

Winning habit

The Red Roses are one of the most successful teams in the sport. They have won the TikTok Women's Six Nations a record 18 times including 16 Grand Slam wins.

On the global stage they have won the Women's Rugby World Cup twice in 1994 and 2014 and have competed at every single edition of the tournament. 

At domestic level the thriving Allianz Premier 15s established in 2017, sees the best teams from across the country compete against each other for the national title.

Red Roses Rugby Legends

Many greats of the game have represented the Red Roses over the years. Former backrowers Carol Isherwood and Gillian Burns were amongst the first cohort of women rugby players to be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2014. Another Red Roses backrower and now respected TV pundit Maggie Alphonsi was inducted in 2016.

The Red Roses rugby team's long period dominance have made them trend setters in the women's game and daunting opponents for other nations.