Loughborough Lightning’s Bo Westcombe-Evans will make her Red Roses debut this weekend against USA.
The 22-year-old winger, who scored 14 tries in 20 Lightning games last season, has been selected to start England’s WXV 1 opener at BC Place Stadium in Canada on Sunday 29 September (kick-off: 8.30pm BST).
Westcombe-Evans was called up for her first senior international camp in the summer without featuring in the home Tests against France and New Zealand. The speed merchant was briefly released to her club when she landed a brace of tries against Sale Sharks to take her career tally to 30 in 43 Lightning games.
The 22-year-old will become the seventh Lightning player to be capped by the Red Roses in the past 12 months, following in the footsteps of Cath O’Donnell, Helena Rowland, Daisy Hibbert-Jones, Sadia Kabeya, Emily Scarratt and, most recently, Lilli Ives Campion.
Westcombe-Evans will be joined in backs division by Scarratt, who earns her 114th cap from outside centre, while Helena Rowland awaits her chance to make her 32nd Red Roses appearance from among the replacements.
Attack coach Lou Meadows said: “We have been building on our game for the past eight weeks towards our WXV opener against USA. This group of girls are excited for their opportunity to attack the tournament right from the start for the Red Roses this Sunday. We understand our reality and just want to get playing.”
BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app will stream all games in WXV1 and WXV2.
RED ROSES TEAM TO PLAY USA
BC Place Stadium, Canada
Sunday 29 September (kick-off: 8.30pm UK time)
15 Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 45 caps)
14 Bo Westcombe-Evans (Loughborough Lightning, uncapped)
13 Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning, 113 caps)
12 Phoebe Murray (Bristol Bears, uncapped)
11 Jess Breach (Saracens, 40 caps)
10 Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 51 caps)
9 Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 23 caps)
1 Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury, 17 caps)
2 Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears, 59 caps)
3 Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 63 caps)
4 Rosie Galligan (Saracens, 16 caps)
5 Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 66 caps)
6 Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks, 15 caps)
7 Georgia Brock (Gloucester-Hartpury, 1 cap)
8 Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, 69 caps) - captain
Replacements
16 Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers, 76 caps)
17 Kelsey Clifford (Saracens, 8 caps)
18 Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 32 caps)
19 Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 55 caps)
20 Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs, 7 caps)
21 Ella Wyrwas (Saracens, 6 caps)
22 Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears, 32 caps)
23 Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 31 caps)
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