Why England's 'warrior queen' is the perfect captain

Aldcroft was one of the 32 players to be given full-time contracts in 2024

Guinness Women's Six Nations: England v Italy

Venue: Community Stadium, York Date: Sunday, 23 March Kick-off: 15:00 GMT

Coverage: Live on BBC Two, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sport website and app.

From being the only girl in her first team to becoming the best player in the world, Zoe Aldcroft has always been a special talent.

Now as captain of the leading team in women's Test rugby, the 28-year-old has been tasked with leading England to World Cup glory.

Aldcroft, who has been capped 58 times, will start her England captaincy journey against Italy on Sunday in the first round of the Six Nations.

'There couldn't be a better ambassador for women's rugby'

Like other Red Roses, Aldcroft started playing rugby as the only girl on her team at the age of eight.

Starting at Scarborough RUFC, a typical small town, family-based rugby club, she was, as described by minis coach Nigel Wilson, "quiet, shy, reserved and not a particularly outgoing person, but she was keen to give rugby a go".

And having watched her brother and dad play from a young age she was keen to prove she could tackle just as hard as the boys could.

"She just mixed in with the boys and got straight into it," Wilson told BBC Sport.

"She didn't hold back anything from tackling boys."

At the time, rugby was a male-dominated sport with few female role models but Aldcroft never felt like she was a "lesser player because she was a girl".

But Rugby Football Union regulations mean boys and girls cannot mix in the same team once they turn 12, forcing Aldcroft to switch clubs to nearby Malton Girls and then slightly further afield to West Park Leeds.

Zoe Aldcroft with her team at Scarborough rugby club [second row, end person]

Aldcroft has played an influential part in multiple Women's Six Nations titles, was named World Rugby women's player of the year in 2021 and was part of the England team that reached the World Cup final in 2022.

Her most recent achievement was co-captaining her club side Gloucester-Hartpury to a third successive Premiership Women's Rugby title.

But one accolade that her home club holds on to is that Aldcroft is the only Scarborough rugby player in 100 years to become an international.

"She's just head and shoulders above everybody else," said Wilson.

"Nobody [from the borough of Scarborough] has ever captained England in a major sport."

Aldcroft, a lock who can also play in the back row, has never forgotten her roots, taking former Scarborough player Steph Else under her wing when she signed for Gloucester-Hartpury and inspiring the next generation of female players.

"She's not a person who has gone away and stays away," added Wilson.

"When she comes back and coaches the players, she spends an evening with them to answer their questions and will sign every autograph, no matter how tired she is.

"She couldn't be a better role model for young girls. There couldn't be a better ambassador for women's rugby."

Aldcroft missed the entire 2019 Women's Six Nations because of injury but returned for the 2019 Super Series in San Diego

'I didn't realise I would be so homesick'

Aldcroft had huge desire and determination and, to further her rugby ambitions, moved from the family home in the north-east to the south-west to study and take part in a full-time rugby programme at Hartpury College.

"Moving away was a huge decision," Aldcroft said. "The first week I hated it. I didn't realise I would be so homesick but it was the best two years I have ever experienced.

"I hoped one day I would be able to play for England, so I concentrated on that dream."

Sean Lynn, now head coach of Wales women, first encountered a 16-year-old Aldcroft when he was teaching at Hartpury.

It was not long before he had a conversation with Red Rose head coach Simon Middleton about a player he "can't fault".

"'She's not going to be a leader by her outspoken words, this girl will lead by example'," said Lynn, who became head coach of Gloucester-Hartpury in 2020.

"On and off the pitch, she is just a professional individual.

"She is that warrior queen but what I love about her is she demands high standards in training."

Aldcroft signed for Darlington Mowden Park Shark in 2015, representing England under-20s for two years before making an instant impact on her senior England debut in November 2016.

Coming on in the closing stages against then Six Nations champions France, she scored the winning try in a 17-13 victory.

Next year she signed for Gloucester-Hartpury and in 2018 was named co-captain with Natasha Hunt, while establishing herself in the England squad.

"Once you get a little taste of it you just want more," she said. "I am just so hungry to keep developing with the teams."

Hunt and Aldcroft led Gloucester-Hartpury to a third successive domestic title earlier this month

'We believe Zoe will thrive in the role'

Aldcroft, who had captained on occasion already in her career, replaced Marlie Packer as permanent captain of the Red Roses in January this year with head coach John Mitchell saying captaincy would bring the best out of her.

"The values it takes to be a high-performing Red Rose are ingrained in her character and she is highly respected within the squad," he said. "We believe Zoe will thrive in the role."

Juggling being the captain of the best Premiership team and the world's best international side is a "stressful job" but Aldcroft believes setting an example to her team-mates every day in training is key.

"If you have the ability to work hard and push your own boundaries that's the most important thing," she said.

"In rugby, you are looking for people to put their bodies on the line, people who will go that extra step. To do that is so important, [so is] being true to yourself and having a mentality to keep on improving."

Aldcroft left Scarborough with hopes that one day she would make her England debut but soon she could returning to her home town with the sport's ultimate prize.

Aldcroft won 11 caps for England U20s and she has won 58 caps for the senior women's