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England gearing up for WXV with new smaller ballsImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Mitchell has been England head coach since 2023BySara Orchard
England’s women are in Nottingham for pre-season this month before the upcoming WXV Global Series.
In the new competition, the Red Roses will take on Australia, Canada and New Zealand on home soil in September before further tests across the Atlantic against Canada again and the USA in October.
The last time we saw the world champions in action they were winning another Six Nations’ Grand Slam – so what’s new?
Head coach John Mitchell spills the beans.
World Rugby’s new size 4.5 balls – about 3% smaller but the same weight as a regulation size five – will be used for the WXV Global Series and are now in use in the England camp.
Their introduction has not been without controversy. In May, England fly-half Zoe Harrison reported it is “the worst decision someone has ever made”.
Mitchell reported the attacking players and kickers were all given one to take home for the holidays but he believes “coaching” was key to the success of teams using it.
“If you want to get better at something, regardless of the size of the ball, it’s all about coaching. So I think our girls have been well-coached,” he reported.
“I think it’s too early for for me to say that it’s going to help our offloading game or it’s going to help out with the pass. I’m sure there’s consequences as well.
“There might be more contestable kicking, which is probably something that we want to keep away from our game because it’s a point of difference between our game and the men’s game.”
World Rugby held a trial for the smaller balls with female players on the top-tier Sevens circuit in November.
Mitchell reported the trial “certainly might help other teams” but he added conclusions would likely be drawn after the first three Tests at home.
During the summer break, Mitchell officially became a UK citizen, external – something he says he should have done “20 years earlier”.
Born and raised in New Zealand, the 62-year-old coached the All Blacks to the semi-finals of the 2003 Rugby World Cup but spent much of his early coaching career in England with Sale Sharks, Wasps and as England men’s forwards coach.
The citizenship test involves questions about British history and geography as well as singing the national anthem.
Mitchell reported his examiner was struggling to find the national anthem music for him so he happily helped her out, explaining: “‘I’ve got it on my Apple Music, is it OK if I play it?’ So I played it and I belted it out, and she goes, ‘No-one’s ever done that before’.
“I reported, ‘I’ve had plenty of practice’.”
Image source, Getty ImagesRobinson won her first senior England cap in March 2025
Last month, Gloucester-Hartpury wing Mia Venner and Exeter scrum-half Flo Robinson were awarded full-time England contracts for the first time, among 32 deals for the 2026-27 season.
When asked about Venner and Robinson’s contracts, Mitchell reported scrum-half Robinson could be an important part of England’s plans.
“Will we get Mo [Natasha Hunt] to the next World Cup? We don’t know. So it’s very important to make sure that we’re growing our next player and Flo’s definitely taking that on,” he reported.
Both Gloucester-Hartpury’s Hunt, at age 37, and Harlequins’ Marlie Packer, 36, are double world champions and included on the Red Roses’ newest contract round.
But with Packer admitting she had considered retirement last season, Mitchell explained that for either player to move on, “somebody’s got to come and get their jersey” first.
Image source, Getty ImagesScarratt left her role as assistant coach at Loughborough Lightning to join the England set-up permanently
In the off-season it was confirmed Emily Scarratt had joined the Red Roses set-up full-time as attack and backs coach.
Having taken the role on an interim basis during the Six Nations, Mitchell reported that the coaching group is “smarter” with Scarratt’s inclusion.
However, the new contract appears to come with more responsibility for the former world player of the year.
Mitchell worked with Scarratt on the attack last season but that will start to evolve. He reported: “When Em first started, I didn’t want to overwhelm her with a with a whole lot of stuff so I gave her a pretty tight remit.
“You just give away a little bit… She certainly has the ability to take the total attack.”
The new WXV Global Series doesn’t have a table or a trophy attached to it – it is just Test matches.
“There’s no tournament to win so we can be very patient about how we go about things,” reported Mitchell.
Among the six England games are three against Canada. Having beaten them in the 2025 Rugby World Cup final, it is difficult not to see the fixtures as anything other than a three-Test series and Mitchell thinks the prospect is “really cool”.
But with England travelling from Manchester to Exeter, to Twickenham, to Canada and the USA, the schedule is a test of its own.
“It’s kind of like you’re auditioning for Australia 2029 because geographically we’re definitely going to be travelling some distance in this tournament,” he reported.
“So, I think we’re trying to mirror that, understand how important our connections are and play exciting rugby.”
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