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England head coach John Mitchell has revealed that Zoe Aldcroft’s consistency set the lock apart as the perfect captain to lead the Red Roses into a home Rugby World Cup.
Aldcroft has been appointed skipper in a huge year for the dominant England side, replacing Marlie Packer in the role ahead of the Women’s Six Nations.
Veteran Packer’s place on the openside has begun to come under threat as youngsters including Sadia Kabeya emerge, while lock Aldcroft is one of the first names on Mitchell’s teamsheet after several years of exceptional performances.
While not necessarily an effusive talker, the Gloucester-Hartpury forward is highly respected within the squad and will hope to lead them to glory on home soil in August and September.
Mitchell admitted that he had been considering a captaincy switch virtually since taking the role as England head coach in 2023, with Aldcroft establishing herself as a kindred spirit and ideal leader.
“I love a person who is consistent with their actions,” Mitchell explained. “Zoe’s an athlete and a person who takes great pride in being consistent in her actions and she’s the kind of leader we need in front of us.
“I’m not a huge talker, Zoe’s not a huge talker, but at the end of the day the best place is your actions. It allows you to communicate effectively.
“It’s never an easy decision to make a change. You have to respect what Marlie has done for her country and in terms of leadership.
“When you have depth, then that person has got to be a certainty on the team sheet. Unfortunately we’ve got to a stage where there’s competition in the seven position, so that’s a difficult decision.
“It’s never personal – I’ve been in this situation a number of times in my life and it’s not something that sits comfortably with you.
“There were a few cups of tea at night and a few late sleeps but at the end of the day it became really clear in my own stomach that it’s the right decision and it’s what the team needs.”
Packer, who assumes a role as a vice captain, has already offered significant support to the new skipper, who can also count on the support of former captain Sarah Hunter when England’s defence coach returns from maternity leave.
Aldcroft first captained her country on her 25th birthday in 2021 and assumes the role on a full-time basis as the side look to go to another level to win a first World Cup since 2014.
“A massive part of being a captain is leading by example,” Aldcroft said of her leadership style. “When I speak, I really mean what I’m saying and I like to think about what I’m saying.
“But it’s also about bringing everyone else around me up and making sure everyone can be themselves and thrive in whatever they’re doing. It’s also really great that I’m being supported by such an incredible leadership team that has so many different strengths and together we can really drive this team to something special.
“We’ve got massive room for improvement. The Canada game [at WXV last year] really challenged us and we haven’t faced that pressure too often as Red Roses. From that game, we learned a lot about how we can be better.
“On the pitch we want to be unstoppable, but it’s about taking each day as it comes and how we individually can grow ourselves each day going forward.”
